


The Subtleties of Fate

by LorelyLantana



Series: The Subtleties of Fate [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU, Archer Zelda, F/M, Family Issues, Hopefully this'll be a slow burn, It happens, Link and Zelda are on good terms from the get-go, Link is soft, Link just wants to be supportive, Little Sister AU, Not Canon Compliant, Political Intrigue, Pre Master Sword Link, Pre-Calamity Ganon, Prophetic Dreams, Romance, Set about a year before the Calamity, Sheikah/Hylian tensions, Sister issues, Sometimes you have to engage in a little teenage rebellion, Strangers to Lovers, We'll see what happens - Freeform, Zelda's POV, Zelda's trying her best and it's working, and relentlessly undermine your father's authority as king
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:09:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 31,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22814392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LorelyLantana/pseuds/LorelyLantana
Summary: My sister shouldn’t be the Hylian Champion.This thought, with irrefutable certainty, keeps ringing through my mind.I can’t explain it, I don’t even know why I feel this way. So I keep it to myself. I just can’t shake the feeling that naming Leah Champion would take that position away from the person it should belong to. I know how it will sound if I speak these thoughts aloud. The envious elder sister, they’ll think, unable to accept her sisters success in the wake of her own incompetence.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: The Subtleties of Fate [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762096
Comments: 100
Kudos: 149





	1. Prologue

My sister shouldn’t be the Hylian Champion.

This thought, with irrefutable certainty, keeps ringing through my mind.  
I can’t explain it, I don’t even know why I feel this way. So I keep it to myself. I just can’t shake the feeling that naming Leah Champion would take that position away from the person it should belong to. I know how it will sound if I speak these thoughts aloud. _The envious elder sister_ , they’ll think, _unable to accept her sisters success in the wake of her own incompetence._  
So instead I try to draw on other reasons to deter my sister from taking the trial as she makes her case to Father across the dinner table.

“There are only four Divine Beasts, Leah. Even if you did take the trial and succeeded, what do you expect to happen?”

Leah put down her fork and pointed her knife in my direction, “I’m sure the Sheikah have other weapons tucked away somewhere, and if I do succeed, I’m sure a good word from you will have them convinced that I’m worthy of whatever superweapon they keep close to the chest.”

The Sheikah.

An entire race of shadow warriors that had been exiled from the Kingdom until Father felt desperate enough to reach out to them in light of the upcoming Calamity. They had agreed to help us, which is more than what we had hoped for, but under conditions. The Sheikah are a tribe dedicated to serving the White Goddess, and upon meeting with Father they made clear on no uncertain terms that they would continue serving Hylia.

And no one else.

As a result, I seem to be the de facto mediator between the royal family and the Sheikah as they always seemed to defer to me, a fact that didn’t sit well with Leah or my Father.  
Father was of the belief that consorting with the shadow people took too much time away from my prayer and Leah was quick to emulate my Father in regards to such matters.  
Still, I couldn’t help but relish a little bit in the respect paid to me by the Sheikah. They gazed at me without a hint of the disappointment that seemed to shadow every eye that turned my way.

“Besides, if there isn’t a fifth weapon, how do you explain the warrior next to the Calamity in the tapestry Lady Impa showed us?” Leah raised a brow, expectant.

“We have no reason to believe the sword wielded by the Hero of old was crafted by the Sheikah. Besides, what would they have to gain from hiding such a weapon from us?”

“Because they don’t trust us.”

“That’s-”

“Enough,” Father interjected. He turned his eyes to me, “Have you found the Sacred Power yet?”

I shook my head and looked down at my plate as he addressed my sister.

“I hear you had a good time training today. Did your studies of the sword go well?”

“Very well. Link was my sparring partner again today, and you wouldn’t believe the way he moves with a blade, any weapon at all. No one else even comes close to him in combat. Even I have yet to beat him! He’s wasted as an ordinary guard, so I’m hoping he gets promoted to knight soon-”

I tried to pay attention as she went on about the same person she had been talking about for months. It’s not that I find her conversation annoying, but there is only so much time you can spend hearing about someone you’ve never met. I had yet to meet this Link, but if he’s half the man Leah says he is he must be a sight to behold.

I froze, fork halfway to my mouth. I was distracted by the faint smile on Father’s face.

When was the last time he had smiled at me?


	2. Fire

I awoke when the moon had set and turned towards the window and watched as the last bit of starlight faded from the sky to make room for the burning sun.

In the last few years I had come to cherish sleep when I could get it, my duties as the heir to the holy power kept me up late into the night, yet as of late I found myself waking up before sunrise and being unable to fall back asleep. I felt the strange desire to walk the castle halls during the quiet and calm that came with the preceding darkness of the dawn.

Stranger still was the pair of calm blue eyes that lingered in the back of my mind just after I woke and haunted me for hours afterwards. I was always left with the impression that if I could only find those eyes, I would find answers as well.

I knew that the news of my early rising would spread like wildfire and cause the rest of the castle occupants to rise earlier though, so I thought it best to keep to my room until the maids came knocking at my door. That said, the urge to move drove me out of bed and to my desk, where stacks of inked paper sat waiting for me. I took hold of them and moved to the armchair set I had put by the window so I could read over the letters I had written to the new Champions of Hyrule.

Each of them had been recognized as pilots for their respective Divine Beasts after they completed the trial on the Great Plateau and conquered the challenges found in their homelands. Since they had all proved compatible with their machines they had been the subject of many ceremonies and celebrations in their name. It was a welcome ray of hope that proved that Hyrule was not helpless against the oncoming onslaught.

I ray of hope I was supposed to provide.

I shook my head. Pity wouldn’t do me any good. 

I checked the letters for any mistakes before sealing them in envelopes and addressing them so they could be sent out after the maids had finished their morning work. The letters were a message to each of the Champions telling them of the upcoming trip I would take to formally ask for their help with Calamity as a member of the royal family and sole heir to Light. I would also take the time to get their measurements and brainstorm ideas for the garments I was going to make in honor of their achievements. 

I was looking forward to it, the time away from the castle and out in the open air and the ancient whisper of the winds throwing the last of the leaves onto the ground. Per my Father’s orders, I had dedicated most of my time to prayer, hoping the holy powers would be granted to me for my devotions.

The wilds didn’t care about my posture or my diction or any of the silver and gold that gilded my cage. When I felt the sunlight on my face I always felt something swell within me. A deep love and a desire to protect that beauty sent warmth rushing to my hands.

I felt like I would sprout wings and take off into the sky.

I also felt a deep, ingrained sense of comfort whenever I was surrounded by green, but I could never put a finger on why.

* * *

Later that day, just before dinner, a visitor interrupted my prayers.

“Your Grace, we brought the machines you requested, but we need a place to put them.”

I stood from my place kneeling in front of the Goddess Statue and walked to the out the door and down the corridor. I had underestimated the size of the machines it seemed, as they had already taken up all of the space in the courtyard. I ordered the extra guardians placed in the training room in the castle while we discussed a more permanent position. 

I was on my way to supervise the placement of the remaining guardians when I ran into Father.

“What are you doing out here Zelda? You should be praying right now.”

“I was informed of a matter that needed my attention. I need to oversee the temporary storage of the guardians,” I explained, making a point of looking him in the eye. I still felt Impa’s presence at my back, giving me the potent, if false, sense of authority.

“I wasn’t informed of this,” Father said in a low, warning voice.

“Was there a reason to? You’ve made a point of avoiding Sheikah technology as much as possible so I thought it was best that I handled such a small matter myself.”

My Father widened his eyes, taken aback. A moment later he regained his composure.

“I’ll accompany you. Best to keep any trouble to a minimum.”

And so I walked behind Father when we entered the soldiers’ training room, a large cavernous room that could accommodate the Sheikah weapons. 

“Impa,” I began as we watched the guardian’s being organized by various Sheikah researchers, “Where exactly did you find these automatons? Surely you didn’t keep them all in the village?”

“No Your Grace, we’ve these machines were found during the excavation for the Divine Beasts. We believe they’ve been scattered around Hyrule, though we’ve managed to get our hands on some records that indicate that there’s a long term storage unit somewhere beneath this castle.”

“You mean these monstrosities can be found under are feet?” my Father asked, a tinge of indignation in his voice. I was about to voice my opinion when Leah came into the hall. She took a long look around. I could see the annoyance on her face. She wasn’t regularly scheduled to at this hour, so she must have received the message I sent along stating that I would have to use this room for the day and came to give voice to her displeasure.

“What’s this now? Filling the training room with rusted garbage? Who said you could use this room as you please? If you ask me, anything the Sheikah make would be better stored in the dungeon.”

“Leah,” Father warned. I knew he agreed with her, but he had the sense to be a bit less vocal about it in their presence.

“Actually, whatever these machines are made of, they don’t rust, what you see is dirt and other forms of debris,” I began before catching myself. This wasn’t the time for scholarly debate. I switched gears. “I’m really sorry to inconvenience you, sister dearest, but I didn’t know what else to do. I promise we’ll find another solution as soon as possible,” I finished, hoping the use of an old endearment would help placate her a bit. Unfortunately it seemed to have the opposite effect. She rolled her eyes and drew her sword.

“Well, if you put these trinkets in the practice room then there’s no issue with me using them to practice, now is there?”

“Leah wait-” before I could finish Leah had turned and bashed her blade on the back of one of the guardians facing me sheathing her sword and storming towards the exit. I tried to call after her but something else caught my attention.

Before my eyes the machine shook itself awake in response to the attack. A red beam shot out from its eye, looking around the immediate area before settling its blood red targeting beam on my chest. 

The room froze, not knowing what to do until the guardian launched one deadly beam right for me. I put my arms in front of my face, bracing for impact.

My premature demise was foiled by the ring of a struck shield followed by the sounds of the guardian malfunctioning and powering down, eventually falling to pieces before our eyes.

Before I could regain my bearings my Father grabbed my arm, hauling me out of the room and shouting for Leah to follow. He dragged me down the halls, not letting go until we had reached the Sanctuary, nearly empty since the daily hearings had ended hours before.

“The Sheikah need to leave. I’m throwing them out of the castle,” Father growled. I frowned, unable to see how that was a good decision.

“Father are you sure that’s the best idea? I don’t think straining relations with the shadow people would be the wisest choice right now. We should seek unity against the Calamity, not further division,” I said. I could see my Father pause, and I knew I had calmed him down. 

Leah wasn’t as easily swayed.

“Father-”

“Quiet Leah! Zelda, you may go. Dinner is waiting.”

I hurried out of the Sanctuary, and the shouting started before the door closed completely.

* * *

I ate dinner by myself, wanting to finish and get to my room rather than risking another tense meal. It turns out luck was not on my side, as I ran into Leah on my way back to my tower. She was waiting for me in the hallway leading to my room, leaning against the wall in the darkness between torches. When she caught sight of me she planted herself in the middle of the corridor. She was probably in a bad mood because of the scolding she received from Father and wanted to take out her frustrations on me. She was his favorite, and as such was given a lot of leeway I myself never experienced, but he couldn’t ignore that her recklessness had put the holy princess’s life in danger.

“You won’t get closer to the light if you insist on consorting with the shadows,” she accused, arms crossed over her chest.

I scoffed. I really had no idea why everyone was so suspicious of the Sheikah when they’ve been nothing but helpful and the hostilities of Father and Leah only made things more complicated than they should be. I felt a deep irritation rise in me. After such an eventful day, I found my temper to be shorter than usual.

“What would you know of shadows, Leah?”

“They brought dangerous machines into the castle! You need to get them and their weapons out of the training room before they kill someone.”

In my rage I lost control, and raised my voice to Leah, something I had sworn to myself never to do.

“The only reason we were in any danger is because you were stupid enough to attack a weapon without knowing how it works first! I won’t let Hyrule fall just because one of your silly tantrums caused us to throw away our best hope of survival!”

“Leah flushed, taken aback, before curling har lip and lashing out.

“You think you’re some beloved, noble princess? Don’t make me laugh,” she scoffed, “I train for countless hours everyday so that I can be of use when the Calamity comes while you sit there in front of your statues playing the pious princess. We don’t need the Sheikah’s weapons, we need to train soldiers, and how can we do that if you just do as you please like some spoiled little girl! If  _ you’re _ the princess Hyrule needs, then why haven’t you done anything yet? Where’s your Holy Light? We wouldn’t need to beg for the Sheikah’s help if you had an ounce of the sacred power in you! I bet they have you convinced that everyone loves and respects you just because they pay attention to you! They’ve told you it's okay to waste your days sitting around doing nothing while  _ I’m _ the one who’s actually been working! Do you know what everyone  _ really _ says? They wish that  _ I _ was born first, or that the Holy Power was passed down to every royal daughter instead of just the firstborn! They wish it was  _ me _ ! Not you! If Hyrule falls, it will be because you failed to fulfill the one reason you had for being alive!”

I gaped, speechless. Leah lifted her chin in that way she had when she knew she had done something wrong but refused to apologize for it. I felt my eyes burn. Leah wouldn’t budge and I didn’t know what else to do, so I turned and ran back the way I came. Tapestries and torches burned in my vision, and I didn’t stop before I reached the small garden that my tower overlooked. I pushed past the guard who no doubt overheard our argument and collapsed on the lip of a fountain. When mother dies, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry in front of Leah, and that instinct had me flee instead of reasoning with her like I should have.

I don’t know how long I sat there under moonlight, numb to the chill of incoming winter, but I was pulled back to the present by the sound of the night watch changing. When I rose my hands flew to my shoulders. I ran my fingers over the course, navy fabric of the cloaks given to the castle guards during the cold months. I turned towards the door, where they were stationed, but the guard that stood by had one of his own, meaning the man who had given me his cloak was already relieved. 

I hurried inside to see if I could catch him but I was met with an empty hallway.


	3. Ready

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tanagar Canyon is completely devoid of Sheikah technology until you get to the Forgotten Temple where there are about half a dozen of Deliberately Placed decayed guardians and I just want to know WHY.

All was quiet, and the sun shone down on the crumbling temple in what felt like the first time in an age. I walked hand in hand with a man clad in a green tunic and pointed cap. I walked in iridescent sandals, wearing a simple white dress and my hair was loose around my shoulders. He had a sweet smile and fluffy blonde hair that fell in his eyes as he pushed the door open and led me out into a radiant courtyard that filled with flowers and trees that surrounded a gargantuan statue that felt awkward to look at, like seeing a distorted reflection. 

I turned to that man that I loved with the first carefree smile that I could remember, and he opened his mouth to speak, but I awoke before he could say anything.

I woke up disoriented and disappointed. I longed to keep that feeling of peace longer, but Calamity yet loomed, and I was still powerless.

To make matters worse, Father had ordered that I was to dispose of the guardians personally, which meant I couldn’t study the contraptions as much as I’d hoped. I’d tried talking him out of it, but he insisted that the Divine Beasts were all we needed and that I would regret defying him further.

I’d told the Sheikah to take them out of the castle, but to wait before destroying them so I could be certain there was no other solution. I just couldn’t bear destroying all of them. Not yet.

Perhaps I could get on final chance to look at them before I 

I left my room and walked down to greet Father before my departure to supervise the guardians’ destruction.

“Impa?” I called into the quiet of the seemingly empty hallway. A moment later I felt a presence fall into step behind me.

“Yes, Your Grace?”

“Where have you stashed the guardians?”

“We have arranged for them to be stored at the Maritta Exchange, near Tanagar Canyon.”

Something stirred in my chest at the mention of the canyon, a yank on my mind to go see it for myself.

“Prepare my horse, I will ride there as soon as possible.”

“It shall be done, Your Grace.”

* * *

And so, hours later, I found myself riding towards Maritta Exchange, only to steer my horse further north. That tug in my mind hadn’t settled down, driving me to distraction. I tried to focus on something else, tuning into the guards idle gossip.

“Can you believe the Captain sent Link running around Castle Town for the entire morning? I don’t know whether to pity him or be glad the Golden Boy got taken down a peg.”

“Hey now, don’t be so hard on the boy, he just lost his father.”

“Yeah, Captain Vanguard left behind some pretty big shoes to fill.”

I remember Captain Vanguard. Mother trusted him, so he was something of a babysitter before he was named Captain of the Royal Guard after she passed. He was the one who taught me to shoot when Mother no longer could. I remember he mentioned he had a son that lived with his family in Necluda. I’d asked if I could meet him, if only to meet someone else my age that I wasn’t related to, but Father deemed it a distraction and that was the end of it.

It was a dark day when Captain Vanguard left us, and it broke my heart that I was barred from his funeral, having to settle for watching from the ramparts where Father couldn’t see me. He thought it would be bad luck for me to dwell on death instead of praying. 

“Well, losing a part of his uniform is pretty unlike someone so diligent.”

I cocked my head, trying to make sure I wasn’t eavesdropping.

“He’ll be paying the price for it, losing his cloak right as the snow comes in.”

I pulled on the reins to bring my horse to a stop.

“Link Vanguard lost his cloak?” I asked, abandoning all pretense of secrecy. The guards shifted uneasily.

“We beg your pardon, Princess, we don’t mean to speak ill of the boy, what with him saving your life the other day. It was really impressive, blocking that beam with just a training shield.”

So that was Link. In the commotion, I hadn’t gotten a good look at my savior. I made a mental note to find him later. If not to thank him for saving my life then at least I could apologize for stealing his cloak. 

* * *

“Your Highness,” called one of the guardsmen sent to accompany me, “The exchange is in the other direction.”

“I know,” I called back, “There’s just something I need to confirm.”

If only to silence my mind.

I stopped my horse when we reached the edge of the canyon and stared into its depths.

The people of Hyrule hadn’t explored the bottom of the Canyon for decades. It was too dangerous, from monsters to falling rocks, any interest in what might be found below was swiftly extinguished by the life threatening nature of such a journey. 

“Wait here,” I called to the guards, kicking my horse into a canter before they could protest. I kept an eye on the bottom of the ravine until I noticed a significantly more shallow section of canyon. Upon closer inspection, I could see that what was supposed to be the ravine floor looked a bit too smooth, like stonework. I returned to my retinue.

“How quickly could you get me to the bottom of the canyon?”

* * *

We started calling it the Forgotten Temple.

It had only taken a few hours to call the Sheikah excavation team stationed at the exchange and have them set up a pulley system that made it easier to access whatever was below. 

We stood in a sizable gap in the wall, peering into the massive building that dwarved Hyrule Castle. Further into the Temple, I could just make out the stone face of what could only be a Goddess Statue. One that made all others look like anthills against a mountain.

“This is it,” I breathed, feeling a massive weight off my chest that almost felt like joy.

“Your Grace?” Impa questioned, I turned to her.

“This is where we’ll keep the guardians, to study them further. Have Robbie set up shop here where even if there was another malfunction, the ravine is remote enough to easily contain the damage. Father won’t find out, and even if he does he cannot complain.”

Impa smirked, and I thought I saw pride in her eyes, but I didn’t have enough experience with the emotion to be sure.

“It shall be as you say, Your Grace.”

I’d wanted to explore the Forgotten Temple, but Impa insisted that I come back after the Sheikah had a chance to make sure everything was safe.

So with a lighter heart, I returned to the castle just as the sun set, Father’s office to give him an update before going to bed.

“Have you dealt with the Sheikah’s weapons?”

“Yes Father,” I answered, almost buckling under the cold apathy of his stare, he merely nodded and waved me away. I curtsied and left 

I stormed through the castle, my good mood from the Temple’s discovery withering inside me.

Every encounter I had with my Father left feeling more desolate than I was before.

I pushed the door to my room open, dressed in my nightgown behind the screen before storming out from behind it with the full intention of collapsing onto the bed. I was stopped short, however, when my eyes caught on the bow hanging above my mantle. A birthday gift from the late Captain Vanguard.

Dear Golden Goddesses, I missed archery.

I missed the strain of the bow that promised power to the arrow as I let it fly.

The focus, the precision.

The whistle of sliced air.

The sweet sound the arrow made when it landed.

When Father forbade me from touching a bow so I could focus on my prayers, I spent the night in tears. I loved wielding the same weapon Mother did, it brought me peace of mind to know there was at least some part of me that could access my Mother’s power.

I think that was one of the reasons Father had me put down the bow. Leah and I are sisters, but she takes after Father. Both in her grey eyes and her preference for a sword. I’ve been told that Leah’s hair, dark and curly, resembles Father’s in his youth. It makes sense for Father to love Leah, she’s a splitting image of what he used to be.

While I am a reminder of the love he’s lost.

Sometimes, more often than I’d care to admit, I’ll look into the mirror and for a split second all I can see is my mother’s face, and I always feel so guilty afterwards. 

He can’t bear the resemblance, so he locks my bow away and avoids looking into my eyes whenever he can.

Goddesses, I miss my Mother.

It’s this thought that calls me to drag a chair over to the fireplace, clambering to yank the bow off the wall and take off running through the halls. 

The training room is bound to be empty this time of night, anyway.

I ran through the castle uninterrupted, though I knew that the Sheikah kept watch over me from the shadows, a notion that would have sent Father into a rage. The Sheikah sentries were one of the few things that gave me a nostalgia tinged sense of security, so I let them be. They had informed me of their intentions to closely watch me and aid me in any way they could, so I saw no reason to send them away.

The training room was deserted, as I predicted, so I grabbed some of the arrows leaning against one of the targets and took my place by the opposite wall.

I strung the bow, desperate, drew it back, and fired.

It hit the outer ring. I knew I was years out of practice, but that didn’t stop my hiss of disgust at how far I’d regressed. I fell into a trance of constant aiming, shooting, and scowling at every missed shot, embracing the sting in my arms telling me to fix my posture. I saw slight improvement over the first few rounds, and I was determined to continue, to feed this sense of growing satisfaction that came with honing a skill.

I’d been starved for this feeling, and I wasn’t going to stop any time soon.

I was eased out of my concentration by a gentle hand on my shoulder.

I turned, ready to offer excuses, only to meet with the same bright blue eyes that had haunted my morning thoughts for the past year.

“Link,” I whispered, recognition resonating deep within my heart and soul. I felt like one more puzzle piece had clicked into place, a step towards a complete picture.

Link bowed his head in a nod and took a breath as if to say something, perhaps to ask why the sacred princess of Hyrule was shooting arrows in the middle of the night in what was perhaps a too revealing nightgown. Instead he clenched his jaw shut, took my hand in his, and wordlessly slipped an armguard over a patch of red skin I hadn’t realized was forming.

“Thank you,” I whispered, careful not to disturb the peace of the night, “not just for this, but for saving me as well. And I’d like to apologize for stealing your cloak, I’ll return it as soon as possible. Again, I apologize, I knew it caused you trouble.”

Link smiled softly but shook his head, “You can’t steal what’s freely given, and you needn’t trouble yourself, I just got a replacement this evening.”

I wanted to say more, but he turned and walked to the lower level of the training room where the sparring ring and practice dummies were and began to go through various sword forms. I turned back towards the targets and continued to shoot until my arms shook and I couldn’t go to full draw anymore. I was reluctant to leave, to give up this meditation after so many years without it, but my eyes were starting to drift closed. I gave Link a quiet goodnight and climbed back to my bedroom, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. 

* * *

I awoke before the sun rose, shooting up into an upright position and gasping for breath. I tore myself out of bed and stumbled to my desk. I rammed my shin into the ottoman, but I couldn’t stop to care in my wild desperation to put down the image of my dream to paper. I ran into the desk, scattering various odd and ends in my haste to find pen and paper. I found a loose sheet of parchment and dipped my pen into my inkwell and began to cut into the page, leaving line after bold line. I hunched over the page, taking care not to smudge the fresh ink, and when I finally finished I straightened and stretched, feeling the urgency leave my body like a fever breaking. In the morning light I looked down at a drawing of a long sword with a winged crossguard, its blade buried deep into the ground. 

A sword I needed to find.


	4. Aim

For the next three weeks I skipped lunch in favor of searching the castle library. Praying wasn’t getting me anywhere, and I was hoping the journals of my mothers before me would have a more concrete idea o on unlocking the sealing power. I knew that Grandmother heard the voices of those past, but that didn’t seem helpful when up against an ancient abomination. My mother was a healer, but that gave me little recourse against Calamity. I was also reading through any and all mentions of notable swords throughout the ages, but I could find no mention of the one from my dream. I carried my sketch with me, to compare it with any illustrations I could find. 

It seems a winged cross guard is harder to find than I originally thought. 

I had also continued to sneak into the training ground at night to practice archery. Once I had a taste I couldn’t bring myself to abandon the art once again. The night after I found a belted quiver waiting for me, making for a more efficient practice then bending down every time I needed to retrieve an arrow. Link trained during that time as well, though we didn’t speak to each other beyond greetings and the quiet wish for sweet dreams.

That’s all I hear of his voice, though it's more then what I expect of him. He doesn’t need to break his rhythm just so he can pray for my peaceful night’s sleep, but he does anyway.

I always wonder if I imagine the warmth in his words. I wonder if he enjoys my presence or if he merely tolerates my presence because I am his queen to be.

Maybe he spends the time we spend together thinking of my sister.

I wouldn’t blame him. Leah is beautiful, attentive, and kind to others. I evidently don’t count because I’m her sister, but others sing her praises.

One day, while I read through an old book of sword smithing techniques hoping to at least date the blade of my dreams, Father himself came to the library, tailed by someone I couldn’t quite see.

“I know how you should continue your training,” he began without greeting, “You’ll visit the Sacred Springs, and offer your prayers in the holy waters. I’ve assigned a knight attendant to accompany you, I don’t want any of those Sheikah following you around where I can’t see them.”

“You want me to visit the holy springs now?” I asked, incredulous. Winter was beginning to set in, and the first snow was predicted to fall this week.

“We can't stand idle. Calamity isn’t going to wait around while you waste your time reading books. Everything’s arranged, get going.”

I stared after him, gaping, until I realized the figure that had shadowed him in hadn’t followed him back out.

It was Link.

“You’re to be my escort?” I asked, pleasantly surprised. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad. He nodded, and gestured to the door with a sympathetic expression.

“The horses are ready for us.”

* * *

Once we reached the gate that led out of Castle Town and into Hyrule Field I paused, deep in thought. Going to the springs now felt wrong, I steered further south.

“Let’s go to the Great Plateau first, I wish to visit the Temple of Time.”

Link only nodded and nudged for his horse to follow. 

It took half a day to make it to the Great Plateau, and as soon as we arrived I was greeted by Purah frantically waving us over to what seemed to be the hole inside a cliff.

It turned out to be an entrance to a dimly lit chamber illuminated by deep blue lines that seemed to have a strong correlation to the designs around the base of guardians.

This was a chamber built by the Sheikah of old, 10,000 years ago.

“What is this place?” I gasped in awe. Some of the stairs were missing, lost to the sands of time, so Link jumped down first to catch me as I hopped into his arms, hands bracing on his shoulders as he swung me around and placed me on my feet beside the puddle of water he stood in. I looked away, cheeks burning, but not before I caught a glimpse of a slight blush coloring his face. I was prevented from dwelling on it by the start of Purah’s monologue.

“The records we found when we cracked this place open indicated that this room was called the Shrine of Resurrection, a prototype medical ward of sorts. Originally, It was planned to install one into each of the Divine Beasts, but it wasn’t feasible because of resources or logistics or whatever. We’ve been monitoring this room for years when we first started working in tandem with the royal family. It was pretty dull until we got all of the Divine Beasts online and then  _ snap! _ The lights all came on and we found  _ this!” _

Purah reached towards a pedestal by the door and pulled a small handheld device that held the Sheikah emblem in the center.

“I call it the _ Sheikah Slate!  _ It was what gave the instructions for the Champions’ trials and how to key themselves into their Divine Beasts! Doesn’t it snap?”

She handed it off to me, and I ran my fingers over the screen, tapping on a green icon, which seemed to turn the device transparent, letting me see my boots underneath. A button appeared at the bottom of the screen, and I tapped it to see what would happen. I heard a faint noise as the device froze the image and reproduced a slightly smaller version. Two more buttons appeared under the replica, giving me the option to save or delete the image.

I ended up deleting it, not knowing what I would do with a picture of my own feet. I turned to my newly anointed knight, holding the device up so I could see his face.

“Smile,” I said. On the screen, I watched his eyes widen slightly in surprise and, after a moment's hesitation, quirked the corners of his lips up in a bashful grin that tugged at my heartstrings. I stepped beside him and showed him the picture that I had saved into a sort of gallery. I handed the Slate off to him so he could fiddle with it while I listened to Purah explain the Trial the Great Plateau offered the Champions. She gestured to a strange, four-pronged weapon that stood parallel to the pedestal in a dull, dead grey. 

“Do you know what this is?” I asked, and Purah shrugged.

“We had to vacate the Plateau while the Champions started their Trials, and they didn't stay to chat, so we only know that they used it somehow. They wouldn’t give any details.”

I ran my fingertips over it, amazed. I wanted to bring it out into the daylight so I could examine it better. I tried to take it off, but it was too heavy.

“Link,” I called, “can you carry this outside for me?” 

He nodded and handed the Slate back to me before taking hold of the weapon in both hands and pulled.

The weapon came free easily in his grasp, but a second later a blood red force seemed to leak out of him and into the weapon, driving him to his knees, fighting for breath.

“Link!” the cry tore itself out of my as I placed a worried hand on his shoulder, “What happened?”

He wrenched himself to his feet, stumbling back a couple of steps, trying to catch his breath to answer. I hated the pained look in his eyes. Before he could reply, however, a voice reverberated through the chamber.

“I am Maz Koshia, I now address the one who wishes to master a Divine Beast. To undertake this task requires unwavering dedication. That weapon defeats foes with one hit. However, the reverse is also true, as its wielder will also fall to a single strike.You can use this weapon’s ability only twice within a set period of time, only when it is glowing. When enough time passes, the weapon will regain its sheen along with its power. At the four marked locations within the Great Plateau defeat all monsters present to prove your power. If you are not up to the challenge, leave this plateau. The weapon will return here, and the trial will end.”

I turned to Link.

“You don’t have to take the trial if you don’t want to. I would never force you to do something of this magnitude, and I won’t think any less of you for it.”

I watched as gears turned in his mind, his jaw clenched tight. An age passed with my blood thundering in my ears, then he nodded.

“I’ll leave the plateau and come back. Stay here until then.”

* * *

My knight was quick on his feet, it seems. It took a matter of minutes for the weapon to return to its place, and he was quicker still to return.

“Forgive my absence, Princess,” he breathed, slightly out of breath. 

“Think nothing of it, Sir Knight, it was my fault to begin with.”

He seemed to want to contest that, but I silenced him with a look. Now that I could breathe easy once more, I returned the Sheikah Slate, having previously clutched it to my chest, to its terminal.

The earth shook, waking up from a long slumber.

Purah was driven to her knees, and I would have followed suit were it not for Link’s steady stance and sure hands supporting me from behind. He pushed me against the wall and did his best to shield me from any debris that might fall.

We didn’t move for a few moments after the earthquake finally settled. Link snapped to it, taking my hand and ushering me back towards the sunlight as fast as he could without dragging me. 

“Apologies, Princess,” he murmured before placing his hands firmly on my hips and lifting me to sit on the ledge of decrepit stairs. I was still in a daze when he leaped up beside me and pulled me back out to the light of day. He asked if I was hurt anywhere, and when I shook my head no he led me, less hurried this time, to the Temple of Time, where he handed me off to the priestesses there while he went to check on Purah and get a report from the garrison down below.

Shaken from the afternoon’s events I dressed for prayer. It was tradition for the women of the royal family to pray in all of their finery, draped in layers of silk and silver. A dress fit to parade around the country in. The Queen of Hyrule’s prayer gown would rival her wedding dress in its extravagance. 

I had such a gown. A flowing pink layered robe that Leah sneered at for its opulence. It had thousands of details that I still hadn’t uncovered after years of wearing it.

After discovering the Forgotten Temple, I had a much simpler prayer attire commissioned. A simple affair, forgoing the sleeves and billowing train. The only jewelry I wore was the matching gold set of bracelets and a necklace that I had inherited from my mother.

I heard whispers as I knelt in front of the Goddess, priestesses clucked their disapproval where they thought I couldn’t hear. Some thought my simple dress was an insult to Hylia, while others thought wearing white in a temple was a blasphemous attempt to imitate the White Goddess.

I paid them no mind. Their idle gossip couldn’t dispel the sense of peace growing within my heart in that gown. I felt like I had taken a step closer to the sacred power, even if it was still far out of my reach.


	5. Blue Nightshade

The rest of my visit to the Great Plateau passed without incident, and I was allowed a brief delay from going to the springs by Link’s request of leave to tell his family of his new position and to invite him to the ceremony honoring his ascension into knighthood. I was a bit taken aback that Father’s haste to get me to the springs would deny Link the opportunity to tell his family about his promotion sooner, but I knew better then to bring it up. I went straight to bed the night after Link left, thinking that training alone would be lonely.

When I went to sleep that night, I became one with the earth. My consciousness was stretched over the vast land of Hyrule. It was a peaceful feeling, quietly keeping watch over the citizens of Hyrule. I peeked into Hyrule Castle, skipping over my own sleeping form to check on my family. Father was up late in his study, lost in his work again. I felt worry echo through my being. He’s not getting any younger, and overworking isn’t helping. I silently urged him to leave whatever he was working on for the morning and go to bed.

Father rubbed his eyes and stood up with a yawn before stretching and leaving his office. I moved my awareness to Leah’s room, only to find her tossing and turning. She’s struggled with insomnia ever since Mother passed, to the point where she had a practice dummy set up in her room so she could spend any sleepless nights honing her skills. I sent a warm breeze through the castle, smoothing her hair down and fixing the bedding she had tossed askew in her fitful sleep. My heart warmed when she settled down.

Satisfied, I zoomed out over greater Hyrule, content to spend the night drinking in the sleepy silence until the sun rose.

A great rumble drew my attention to the Great Plateau, something was stirring awake, gears grinding mechanisms whirring. Before my eyes, I watched the bright blue I had come to recognize as Sheikah made rose out of the ground and settled in the sky, creating an arena. 

I locked my focus on the figure that was marching up the steps to the chamber that housed the Sheikah Slate.

It was none other than my appointed knight.

 _“Link,”_ I called, trying to get his attention. He froze and cocked an ear, listening. I tried again. He shook his head and continued up the path.

_“Link.”_

I raised my voice a bit, and then he started looking around him with a look of confusion.

 _“Link!”_ I cried at the top of my lungs. It seemed to do the trick, causing him to stop turning and tilt his head up in my direction with wide eyes, only he seemed to look right through me.

 _“What are you doing here, I thought you were headed home?”_ I asked, ignoring the baffled look on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, hesitated, then pushed on.

“Princess?” he spoke softly, as he always did, but this time he seemed to be second guessing himself. He still looked a bit disbelieving, but I wanted answers to.

“ _Yes, what are you doing wandering about in the middle of the night?”_

Instead of answering, he started shifting around, almost sheepish. It was then I noticed the weapon in his hand.

_“You’re taking the trial.”_

He nodded, lowering his head and clenching his jaw.

_“But why? There are no more Divine Beasts, no weapon to grant you if you succeed, so why risk your life like this?”_

He didn’t answer for a long time, but his whisper was loud enough for me to catch it.

“Because it’s something my father would do.” I was about to reply when a speck of blue caught my eye.

_“Oh!”_

“What is it, princess?”

_“A blue nightshade, Impa was telling me how the Sheikah were using them in potions and meals. I keep meaning to get my hands on one. Perhaps you should pick it. It might help you in your trial.”_

“Thank you, princess.”

_“I wish you luck, and I pray for your safe return.”_

* * *

The next morning, I couldn’t shake this feeling of detachment. I was certain my dream was just that, a fantasy, but I still couldn’t shake this feeling of slight distortion, like I was only looking through one eye. My morning went for the most part incident, the only thing of note was the final choice of fabric I would use for the Champion’s garments. I had sketches of designs ready for when I would make my visit the next week, but I had only received swatches the day after Link left.

It was a difficult decision. I had it narrowed down to forest green and cerulean. Eventually, the blue ended up drawing my eye more, so I went with that instead of the green.

Green would have clashed with Mipha’s scales anyway, and I wouldn't do that to her.

I also continued to research the odd sword. I knew it more than likely wasn’t real, but I read somewhere that dreams were based on images that the person had seen, so I thought that if I could find the image that inspired my mind to create it I could put it out of my mind once and for all.

My search was proving fruitless, and I was growing frustrated. The answer was just out of my awareness, at my fingertips, and it felt like I would find it if I only looked around a little. It kept me looking over my shoulder and down halls I had no intention of walking down. My restlessness didn’t go unnoticed.

“What distracts you so, Your Grace?” Impa spoke from her usual spot behind me. I don’t think she liked the fact that I had left the castle without Sheikah guards, and made up for it by watching me closely now that I had returned.

“What do you know about a sword with a winged cross guard?” I asked in response, my frustrations making my temper shorter.

“A sword?”

“Yes!” I turned to her, needing to vent, “It’s handle is a deep purple laced with green and the blade has a blue shine to it. I know it’s just a silly fantasy I dreamed of yet I can’t get it out of my mind!”

Impa said nothing, but her eyes seemed to light up, and she smiled.

“We've nothing to worry about.”

I was about to ask what she meant when I heard soft steps headed towards me. I turned to find none other than Sir Link himself heading towards me. I felt Impa’s presence fade, and assumed she went to visit some of the few Sheikah Father allowed in the castle.

“Sir knight, you’re back early. I didn’t expect your return for another day at least.”

“I didn’t want to delay.”

I turned and walked down the hall so he wouldn’t see my smile.

* * *

Link accompanied me to my study, where I sat at my desk for the first time in an age to write in my research journal to document my observations from the Great Plateau. This was the first time I had free time since I returned. My pen paused over the empty page, I couldn’t shake the dream I had earlier. I turned to where Link stood by the door, and noticed how he shifted like a child outside a headmaster’s office. Something was bothering him.

“Sir knight,” I called to get his attention. His eyes snapped to mine, expectant.

“Did you go to the Great Plateau while you were away?”

He swallowed and stood stiffly for a moment before wordlessly reaching behind his cloak and setting the Sheikah Slate next to my journal. 

“Link?”

“Yes, princess.”

“Why do you have the Sheikah Slate?” 

“It wouldn’t fit back in its pedestal.”

“Does Purah know you have this?”

“I finished before dawn and I didn’t want to wake her.”

I buried my face in my hands. Link cleared his throat, and I peeked at him from behind my spread fingers.

“There was something I wished to ask you about, princess. I thought you would want to see this.” He took the Slate back into his hands and fiddled with it before pointing it at the ground.

Before my eyes, blue wisps consolidated into a single, solid form that sat on two wheels and looked a bit like a modified rocking horse.

“I thought you might know what this is, princess.”

I didn’t know what it was. 

Still, I couldn’t help but be captivated by it. I examined what appeared to be handles on either side of the horse’s head and examined the various displays nestles between them.

“Have you experimented with it?”

“Not really, Maz Koshia called it the Master Cycle Zero and described it as ‘a masterwork on innovation’ but he didn’t give me anything else. I know it disappears if the Slate gets far enough away from it.”

“How far?”

“Just a few steps.”

“Have you tried riding it?” I asked, finally turning back to him. He rubbed the back of his neck in a bashful, endearing way.

“No. I was in a hurry.”

My cheeks warmed, and I turned away, suppressing a smile. I froze when I caught sight of a blue nightshade resting on my research journal's open pages.

A blue nightshade I thought I'd seen in a dream. Link noted my silence and followed my gaze before lowering his eyes.

“You said you wanted one,” he murmured.


	6. Shadows

I paced around my study in a downward spiral, a deep pit of panicked dread forming in my stomach.

Every recorded generation of the Blessed Daughters of Hylia manifested a single facet of the holy power, nothing more. My grandmother heard the voices of spirits and only the voices of spirits. My mother could heal, but that was it.

What if my sacred power had awoken, only to be granted a skill powerless to stop the Calamity?

What was I to do? Abandon my body and watch from above as my beloved land was torn apart by evil’s claws?

No.

I wouldn’t lose my composure here. I don’t know if what happened that night was really my power, perhaps it was just a fluke.

I refuse to lose hope.

I turned to Link.

“You’re oddly composed for someone who communed with a disembodied voice,” I commented wryly. He tilted his head with a small smile and a quirked brow.

“If a decrepit old monk can do it, I see no reason why the Golden Princess shouldn’t be able to send her voice where she pleases.”

There was a knock at the door, and Link went to open it, expecting a maid bringing tea or orders from Father. 

A Sheikah warrior I didn’t recognize stood in the doorway. He handed Link a scroll closed by a navy blue ribbon.

“For Her Grace,” the man said before melting into the shadows of the afternoon. I sat at my desk and read the paper, wondering what the Sheikah would have to tell me that Impa couldn’t discuss with me openly. 

Inside was the report of the investigation into the earthquake that we experienced after I had returned the Sheikah Slate to its terminal on the Great Plateau, in addition to an observation of an increase of activity by some group called the ‘Yiga Clan’. Apparently, after the land quieted, several small structures bearing the Sheikah emblem had risen from underneath the ground. The sheer number of these structures, that the Sheikah identified as shrines, meant that they had yet to be thoroughly investigated, but before I could get too excited, a note from Impa had my heart dropping to the floor.

My father had ordered everyone, including Leah, to keep me in the dark about this discovery, as it would ‘distract the princess from fulfilling her duties’.

I threw the scroll to the floor and stormed to the study window. After spending a few months with Impa, I had gained somewhat of a sixth sense when she and other Sheikah were nearby. I theorized that this was simply another facet of the strange bond I shared with them, but I had other things on my mind at the moment. I opened the sutters and leaned out.

“What else is being hidden from me?” I demanded, prompting Impa to take a seat on the windowsill. Link sucked in a breath behind me.

“Your father is determined to keep the Yiga’s existence from you”

“The Yiga Clan?”

“Insurgents bent against the Hyrulean royal family for vengeance against their exile. Not all Sheikah were content to wait for our return to your side, and the bitterness caused by the King’s actions centuries ago has caused some of the weaker men and women to walk astray from our path.”

“Is that all that they kept from me?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“See to it that this is the last time they keep me in the dark.”

“As you command.”

“Impa?” I said as she turned to resume her watch. 

“Yes?”

“How did you get this report?”

“It was acquired after the council met this morning.”

“They allowed you to attend?”

“Not officially.”

So the Sheikah were keeping tabs on the council in secret. Were I my sister, or Father, I would have been outraged. However, as things stood now, the Sheikah had done far more to endear themselves to me than my family, and I was starting to find the shadow people more trustworthy. After a moment’s silence, Impa cleared her throat.

“If I may make a request, Your Grace?”

“You may.”

“The King’s decision to ban Sheikah guards outside of the castle limits the amount of security we can assign while you go on your travels, a concern which grows with the increase of Yiga activity. As such, we were willing to train your knight in our ways. It is our hope that in learning our tactics he will be better prepared to face the Yiga.”

I raised a brow, “You would give away your secrets to a Hylian knight?”

“We would share our secrets with your knight. It would be an honor to teach the one who watches over you, and in light of his success on the Great Plateau he has been deemed worthy of learning our ways.”

Of course she knew of what happened on the Great Plateau.

“Please send a message to Purah that the Slate is safe and sound with us,” I said, before turning to Link.

“What say you, Sir knight? The choice to learn with the Sheikah is yours.”

He didn’t hesitate, “It would be my pleasure to receive your teachings.”

* * *

Link escorted me to the room where I worshipped, Impa having left to make arrangements for Link’s lessons.

“Are you sure you want to learn from the Sheikah? There’s no love lost between them and your King,” I’d had a hard time calling him my father.

“My princess seems to trust them well enough, and Impa managed to get to your study window without my notice. If the Yiga can do the same thing I need to know how to combat their stealth, and if the Sheikah can teach me then I’m glad to learn from the shadow people.”

“In that case I wish you luck. In the meantime, I must go pray to Hylia.”

“Did someone call?”

Leah had turned a corner, having only heard the tail end of my statement.

“No, you misheard, sorry to confuse you. I was on my way to offer my prayers to the Goddess.” 

Leah raised an eyebrow, “Weren’t you supposed to be touring the Springs?”

“After the earthquake the day after my departure I thought it best to return home until we investigated it. Have any reports come in?” a part of me felt guilty for testing Leah, but after the conversation with Impa I needed to know who was on my side. I knew Leah wouldn’t follow the king’s orders unless she thought it was the right thing to do.

“No.”

I see.

I couldn’t say I wasn’t disappointed. I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palm. I heard Link shift behind me, perhaps he was as uncomfortable with her answer as I was. For the first time, I felt myself in a rush to pray, if only to have some time away from everyone.


	7. Champion

My devastation at my family’s deception hadn’t faded during my prayer, so I stalked into the training room with resentment writhing in my chest. I fired arrow after arrow after arrow, leaving the once fresh targets decimated. I didn’t stop when my arms shook and I didn’t stop when my vision blurred with tears.

“Princess.”

Only three of my last five shots hit the bullseye.

I could do better.

“Princess.”

I split an arrow down the middle. 

It wasn’t good enough.

“Stop.”

It took a moment to come back to myself after the bow was gently pulled from my hands. I became aware of the burn in my arms and the numbness in my fingers and knew I had taken it too far.

I turned to Link, who said nothing, but took my hand in his with kind, gentle eyes. That was enough to break through my restraint and let the sorrow I was drowning in stream down my cheeks. I collapsed into his arms, and we both sank to the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his own voice wavering. I shook my head. He wasn’t to blame.

He wasn’t the reason I couldn't trust my own flesh and blood.

Perhaps it was my desperation to leave my heartbreak behind, but I found myself looking down over Hyrule, just as I had the night of Link’s trial that marked him a Champion.

I had yet to tell anyone of Link’s ascension, intending to tell the king this evening, but today’s revelations had me reconsidering. If Link spoke of the trial, then he would likely have to produce the Master Cycle Zero and I was worried, with how single minded everyone was in their pursuit to keep me away from the Sheikah’s technology, that they would take him away as a result.

He was one of the only two people I could still trust within the castle walls, and I won’t let them take him away. 

While I was up here, I wanted to experiment with this new ability I had. If this truly was my one gift, then I would simply have to twist it into something I could use against the Calamity.

First, I tried to focus my awareness on certain parts of Hyrule, as I had the first night. This proved difficult, however, as the closer I looked the heavier the strain was on my concentration. It was made easier when I focused on someone I had an emotional attachment to. I refused to focus on Leah and the king, even if I could sense them in their rooms, so instead I looked towards the Gerudo Desert, where I effortlessly found Urbosa. She was asleep, which meant that I had been up in the training room longer than usual, as Urbosa was a notorious night owl. I centered back to Hyrule Castle, where Link was carrying me up to my room. He must have thought I had fallen asleep, which I suppose wasn’t far from the truth.

I was about to return to myself or call out to him when something in the library caught my attention. I knew that some of the bookshelves were secret doors, and that one led to the king’s office, but I could never find out how to activate one. What piqued my interest wasn’t the office nor the passage down to the docks, but the small room filled with bookshelves. I recalled a distant, childhood memory of my mother telling me that the royal family kept their most cherished secrets hidden away in a room impossible to find, and I knew that must be it. That would have to come later, as Link had tucked me in and I felt calm enough to fall asleep.

“Thank you,” I whispered in his ear as I passed him to settle back into my body.

“Sweet dreams, princess.”

* * *

My sixteenth birthday began with Link’s knighthood ceremony. I didn’t mind, it was a nice change of pace from the devotions that usually kicked off my birthdays. 

I stood tall and steady in the Sanctum that shone with the radiance of the clear morning, highlighting the deep blues and reds of the Hyrulean throne room. Typically, it was the reigning king or queen that presided over the ceremony, but Link had requested that he be knighted by a Golden Princess like his father before him. I had also managed to find Captain Vanguard’s old sword. It had been passed down to his predecessor, who swore to keep it until Link had followed his father’s footsteps and became a knight of Hyrule.

My sister and I stood in the room’s intricate center, over the sacred triangles that had served as our family’s crest for thousands of years. Leah stood on the triangle that served as the top of the figure, the one closest to the throne, holding steady the cushion that held the blade I would use to anoint him. I stood on the westernmost segment, my feet firmly planted on the three circles the Zora has adopted for their own royal emblem. While we waited for Link to arrive, Leah leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“You need to pick the Hylian Champion. You can’t put it off forever.”

I didn’t turn my head to look at her, opting to focus on the doors, “I know,”

“So why haven’t you asked yet?”

“Because you’re not going to be the Hylian Champion.”

“ _What?!”_

Leah had raised her voice, causing her indignation to echo throughout the Sanctum. I leveled a silencing glare at her. She lowered her voice but didn’t back down.

“I’ve studied swordplay all my life in preparation for the Calamity! I’m the Hylian princess! Who could you possibly think is better suited for the position?”

Fanfare filled the room and I turned back towards the doors open. The sound of his boots echoes through the now quiet chamber as he marched up to where I stood and took his place in front of me, kneeling on the final piece of the Triforce. He knelt before me, and I felt something between us click into place. A trust cemented. A shared determination. 

I began the ceremony and perhaps it was a side effect of my new power, but my voice resonated throughout the Sanctum from all directions, from above and below. It was there, granting Link the honor he was owed, that I first began to feel like the Golden Princess who would seal the Calamity to the depth of oblivion. I spoke with an authority that would not be defied, not by Leah, and certainly not by a king who hadn’t a single drop of holy blood in his veins. 

_“We have gathered under the Three Golden Goddesses to bear witness to the triumph of Link Vanguard in his quest to become a knight like his father before him. We stand to celebrate his courage and devotion to the line of Hylia, and we ask that he continue his service to the protection and care of the Sacred Queens that have kept vigil over this land since time immemorial.”_

I took hold of the sword, balancing the blade horizontally on my palms. Leah stepped back, away from ancient crest, leaving Link and I the only ones who stood in the center of the room.

_“I, Zelda of Hylia, deem you worthy of knighthood, and request your loyalty and protection for as long as you are willing. Do you swear your blade and blood to me?”_

I had diverted from the standard vows, I was meant to ask him to pledge to the crown as Zelda of Hyrule, but none would challenge me. Not here. Not now.

Link didn’t waver, far from it. Where my voice echoed throughout the Sanctum, he spoke with a hundred voices. Speaking not only for him, but all those who came before.

**“My sword is yours to command.”**

I tapped his father’s sword to each shoulder.

_“Then rise, my knight, and stand as Sir Link Vanguard, my appointed knight.”_

He stood, and after a moment’s hesitation the room rang with applause. I smiled at him, which he returned with a beaming grin. I handed him his sword, which he sheathed at his hip.

He turned and walked out of the Sanctum, briefly squeezing the hand of a weeping woman that he had earlier introduced as his mother before passing the threshold.

* * *

That evening my birthday party was in full swing by the time I was scheduled to arrive. I looked around, expecting the king to escort his daughter to the party. I waited, thinking that perhaps I was a bit early, or that he was running a few minutes late.

The corridor remained empty.

“Your Highness,” a footman strode quickly into the hall, “I regret to inform you that His Majesty the King had important something important come up and will be unable to escort you inside. He has instructed that you go in rather than wait for him.”

He couldn’t be serious. He wasn’t so brazen as to make his eldest daughter attend a birthday celebration unattended. I clenched my fists and felt my face flush. Perhaps this was retaliation for changing the vows during Link’s ceremony. In my defense, I hadn’t planned it, the words poured out before I could stop them. I straightened my back and made to walk through the door, bracing myself for the whispers that would no doubt spread like wildfire at my shameful entrance. Before I could take a step, however, Link was at my side, holding out his arm for me to take. With a grateful smile, I tucked my hand under his elbow and nodded towards the guard at the door, who pulled it open for us. 

We walked in and stood at the top of the stairs while the footman called our names.

“Announcing the Golden Princess Zelda of Hyrule and her knight Sir Link Vanguard!”

We must have made quite a sight there at the top of the stairs. He was a handsome man made dashing by the red and blue of his dress uniform, and I had my mother’s beauty highlighted by the dress made from layers of the same fabric I would use to craft the Champion’s garments.

We descended gracefully, and the music began the second we stepped on the dance floor. 

Tradition dictated that every ball begin with a dance between the king and I, but he was absent, and Link was here to sweep me off my feet. We spun around, surrounded by music and candlelight.

“Well, Sir Link,” I teased, “how does knighthood suit you? You must have scores of young ladies clambering for your affections.”

“It suits me well, though I can’t say I’ve seen these ladies that you speak of.”

I chuckled, “then you haven’t been looking hard enough.”

He locked eyes with me, and his gaze softened, “I’m afraid my gaze is fixed elsewhere.”

My breath caught and I found myself unable to look away from those bright, beautiful blue eyes until the song came to an end, and Link once again offered me his arm to escort me off the dance floor, towards the buffet table.

“So,” I began in an attempt to steady my heart, “what do you think is so urgent that the king couldn’t escort his own daughter to a party held in her honor?”

Link took a bite of the pastry in his hand and flicked his eyes across the room, where a Sheikah stood guard in the shadows. He wouldn’t have been visible to the untrained eye, having huddled in the darkness of the corner. I turned to Link and raised an eyebrow at him, impressed by how much he had learned in such a short time. He shrugged, and followed as I strode over to the shadowed alcove. I turned my back to the man, positioning myself to look like I was conversing with my knight.

“You wouldn’t happen to know what caused the king’s absence, would you?”

“It would seem that the young princess has disappeared, Your Grace,” said the man in the shadows, and my heart crashed to the floor.

My Leah was missing. 

Where was she? 

Had she been abducted? 

Had the Yiga claimed her?

Panicked, I threw my awareness to the skies of Hyrule, looking down on the castle and following my bond with Leah. 

She wasn’t in danger, far from it, she was riding south at breakneck speed. I tried calling her name, but she couldn’t hear me, or didn’t want to. I returned to my body, where Link was running down the hall with me in his arms.

“She’s headed for the Great Plateau.”

Link skidded to a stop.

“You’re alright?” he breathed, searching my face for any sign of strain. I tilted my head.

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”

“You collapsed in the middle of the party. I thought hearing of your sister's disappearance had overwhelmed you.”

I felt a twinge of guilt at the worry in his eyes. I should’ve warned him before leaving. I spoke as he set me down, keeping his hands on my waist in case I flailed.

“I’m fine, I was looking for Leah. She’s trying to take the trial. We have to follow her.”

“Now?” 

I nodded, I needed to see her as soon as possible. This couldn’t go on. Perhaps if I gave an explanation of the situation she would calm down. She couldn’t take the trial because the Sheikah Slate was sitting up in my tower next to my research journal, but she would likely accuse Purah of hiding things from her and cause the rift between the Sheikah and the royal family to grow. I had to be there to mediate, and perhaps minimize any damage done.

“If I may.”

Link and I turned to see Impa materialize out of the shadows, a navy blue bundle in each hand.

“I think these might suit a midnight ride better than your current attire, especially if you want to leave this castle unnoticed.”

And so, about an hour later, Link and I were riding through Hyrule Field covered head to toe in Sheikah armor.


	8. Sleepless Night

We reached the Great Plateau in record time, the full moon lighting our way. I dismounted, adjusting the belt that held the Sheikah Slate that Impa had handed to me along with the armor that fit like a glove. After some consideration, I pulled the white scarf from around my neck and tied it around my hips to hide the Slate from view. Whatever was about to transpire between Leah and I, it wouldn’t help to flaunt the very thing she needed to participate in the trial. Link dismounted and tied the horses before taking his place beside me. Our attire was more or less the identical to standard Sheikah armor, with the exception being the crests on the front. In place of the standard tear dropped eye was the Hyrulean royal crest, a token gesture to appease the king and his advisors should they ever lay eyes on it.

I was glad of the enhanced stealth the armor afforded as we crept up the Plateau. It wouldn’t do to alert any of the monsters that crept in the night to our presence. We drifted through the woods, the silent tread of a hunter came as second nature to me, as though recalling a skill from a life gone past. Leah herself was unfamiliar with the location of the Shrine of Resurrection, which meant she would have been looking for quite some time. 

We intercepted Leah before she could begin the final ascent that led to the Shrine of Resurrection. 

“What are you doing out here?” I said, stepping out of the woods and onto the open path. Leah started at the sound of my voice, drawing her sword in alarm. Link immediately moved in front of me, his own sword raised and ready.

“I’m the princess of Hyrule. I have the right to take the trial and claim my rightful place as Champion of my people. Now step aside, Sheikah, I won’t have any shadows getting in the way of the Light. If I have to cut you down, so be it.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and suppressed my snort. She  _ was _ only fourteen, after all. I took a deep breath and lowered the fabric that concealed my face. I put a hand on Link’s shoulder to let me pass. He stepped aside for me, but didn’t sheath his sword and kept his face covered.

“What would you know of the Light?” 

My sister stared in disbelief, then she sighed. When she looked up at me, there was something like pity in her eyes, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what for.

“Zelda,” she seemed to take on a gentle air. Unlike Link’s understated support, however, she spoke like an unreasonable teacher scolding a distraught child.

“I know you're under a lot of pressure, and it seems easier to run away, but you can’t keep doing this.”

I tensed, trying to keep a tight rein on my rising temper. I didn’t like her implication one bit.

“Doing  _ what _ ?”

Leah stepped back at the quiet rage behind my question, and then she shook her head at herself, as if I had proven whatever point she was trying to make. I watched as a quiet misunderstanding grew behind her eyes.

“You’re putting your feelings before Hyrule. You’re afraid that once you name me the Hylian Champion the people will be even more impatient with your inability to protect Hyrule, when they already question whether you should be the Champion’s commander. That they'll compare the two of us and find you lacking. I know it's uncomfortable, but being a princess means that sometimes you have to put your own pride aside.”

**_“Do not speak to me of pride when it is arrogance that brought you here!”_ **

Once again my voice resonated throughout the air, but this time it wasn’t contained by the walls of the Sanctum, reverberating throughout all of Hyrule, shaking the land to its core. The surface roared with the panic of thousands of wild animals and monsters that took off running. People started awake within their homes, gasping for breath. On the horizon, I could see wisps of red smoke rising from the north. Under Hyrule Castle, the darkness that slept beneath the ground began to stir, restless and salivating at the taste of my rage. 

I immediately recentered myself and focused my attention on the writhing beast, forcing a sense of calm and pushing it deeper into the oblivion that kept the Calamity at bay.

It wasn’t a solution, but it wouldn’t wake for a while yet.

The Land of Hylia settled at my insistence, the universal stampede of creatures slowing to a stop, and those who woke fell back asleep.

“We’re running out of time,” I muttered, before turning my gaze back to Leah as she scrambled to get back on her feet. Link was under my arm, having stood strong and ready to support me when I cast my consciousness to reinforce the beast’s slumber. I straightened, took a breath, and made sure to use my mortal voice this time.

“The Hylian Champion has already been chosen, and you will hear his name when I see fit to reveal it. Or did you think that you’re the only one who can keep secrets?”

Her eyes widened like a crook caught in the coffers. She opened her mouth to speak multiple times to no avail. Indignation took root in her eyes and spread throughout her entire body.  She didn’t say goodbye, only turned on her heel and stalked back down the path. 

I started down the path with a sigh, taking care to go slow enough that running into Leah wouldn’t be an issue. We were about to descend the stairs when my eyes drifted to the shrine that had emerged the last time we were here. I must have missed it in my rush to leave last time. I strode over to it, curious. I wanted to see what my family had taken pains to hide from me. To undermine their deceit.

It seemed to be made out of the same material as the guardians, and had the same relative shape. It also has the same pattern around the base, yet lacked the light that shone through the lines whenever the guardians were active. 

Did that mean this structure was dormant then? What powered it?

I looked towards what I thought was the entrance, only to find a wall blocking the path. I placed the flat of my palm on the smooth metal and sent my awareness into the ground below. The structure was definitely larger than it appeared, spreading deep below underground. As I suspected, the shrine was sleeping, cut off from a power source.

No, that wasn’t right. It was connected to something, a trigger that would bring all shrines to life. Sending my consciousness out further told me that there were over a hundred tucked away all across Hyrule. I didn’t feel like now was the right time to pull the trigger, but looking at just one couldn’t hurt, could it?

I focused my attention into the ground. The shrines, no, Sheikah technology as a whole took their power from the land, it was a simple matter to focus some of the energy constantly roiling beneath the surface and guide it into the dormant stone. I opened my eyes and the shrine woke up, orange light setting my face aglow. I took the Sheikah Slate out from under my makeshift belt and held it up to the pedestal. The wall previously blocking away broke apart, granting us access. I turned to Link, who had his eyebrows raised, and grinned.

“Let’s take a peek, shall we?”

* * *

We found out that the shrines served as a bit of a training ground for the hero, it seemed. A trial for Hylia’s champion. Link suggested we go through the trial ourselves, but the sun was about to rise, and if we didn’t hurry we would end up being chased by the royal guard, who were now looking not for one but two princesses of varying importance, so we just ended up downloading something called the ‘magnesis rune’ and returning to the surface. I’d have Purah examine it further later. 

After giving the Sheikah Slate a closer look, I noticed that besides the green camera icon and the orange Master Cycle Zero, a red picture had appeared as well. I tapped my finger to it, and the screen shifted to another recreation of the scenery around us, similar to the camera function, but with an added red overlay, I noticed that some of the metal supply crates appeared as a more solid crimson, so I adjusted the Slate so the crosshairs hovered over them. They flashed yellow, and a button appeared labeled ‘activate’. I pressed down and watched as two beams of light shot out and fused themselves to the crate, allowing me to maneuver the crate in tandem with the Slate, levitating it off the ground. 

Beaming, I turned to Link, “Imagine the countless applications that-”

I’d forgotten the crate was still under my control, which meant that my spin to face him caused the crate to swing around unchecked. Fortunately my knight had sharp reflexes, causing him to drop to the ground while the crate flew over his head and crashed into the shrine so hard it smashed to pieces on impact, severing its connection with the Slate. I winced at the responding crash and looked to Link, who was still kneeling on the ground.

“Princess?”

“Yes, Sir Knight.”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“That wasn’t my intention, no.”

“Then what exactly was that?” he asked, jabbing an accusing finger at the metal shards on the ground.

“It’s another one of the Sheikah Slates new abilities. Want to try?”

“I’ll pass this time, thanks.”

I shrugged and slipped the Slate back onto my belt before leading the way down the Plateau.

“Shall we return to the castle, Princess?” Link asked as he brought over our horses. It was a tempting proposal, I was anxious to return to the castle and make sure the Calamity would truly sleep once more, but reason told me that there would be enough to hold the creature at bay for as long as possible, and there was something I needed to do. I shook my head.

“We need to visit Tanagar Canyon first. We have business there.”

* * *

I broke the silence in the darkness preceding dawn, unable to cast my argument with my sister out of my head.

“Do you think Leah is right?”

“About what?”

“What they think of me. Do the people wish Leah was the Sacred Princess?”

“No one smart.”

My eyes widened, taken aback by his blunt answer.

“What makes you say that?”

Link sighed, “The prin- your sister is a gifted swordswoman, and is charismatic and passionate. These qualities draw others in, but they don’t necessarily make for a good queen.”

“She’s kind to others. Brave. Determined,” I argued, disbelieving of his certainty.

“So are you.”

I felt my face flush and my heart race. I had always assumed that everyone would favor my sister. It made sense to me. After all, how could you love a princess you've never seen? A princess who spent her days shut up in prayer and away from the people. Of course the citizens would be kind to Leah, their princess who appeared before them in flesh and blood instead of hiding away in the shadows. Leah was the face of the royal family, where I was the black sheep of Hyrule. I was already caught off guard, but Link wasn’t finished.

“Princess Leah is quick to take action, but also shortsighted. When she trains, winning the battle is more important than winning the war. I’ve lost count of how many times she’s injured herself because being the victor was preferable to taking a loss, making her attempt dangerous maneuvers that would cost her life on a real battlefield. I’ve tried to get the captain to talk to her about it, but all he did was instruct the guard to go easy on her, which is worse. Confidence is good for a warrior, but it can be deadly if it's not justified.

“The difference between you and Princess Leah is that you can see the bigger picture where she fixates on a single problem. Princess Leah sees what goes on inside the castle, but you’ve cast your eyes over all of Hyrule.”

“That’s the problem,” I muttered darkly.

“How do you mean?”

I couldn’t see his face, only his silhouette turned towards me. I took a breath.

“When I,” I fell quiet, the reality of what had transpired only now became clear.

“Oh dear goddesses.”

“What?” Link leaned over the space between us to squeeze my shoulder, “what is it?”

“I-” my voice shook, and I took a breath to steady myself, “my outburst earlier disturbed the Calamity.” 

He tensed and I waited for the backlash. The panic that comes in the face of the apocalypse.

I waited for him to yell. To scream. I waited for him to berate me for bringing Hyrule closer to ruin and for not throwing myself headlong into doom for the sake of the land.

I waited, but nothing came. He didn’t scold me, as the king would have. He only relaxed.

“So?”

“What do you mean ' _so'_? I nearly doomed us all!”

“But you handled it. If anything, it proves you are indeed the Princess to save us all.”

"I-"

I hadn’t thought of it like that. Maybe all was not lost. I might not have the Sealing Power everyone was counting on, but I could use the power I _did_ have to think of another solution. I bought us some time. I had access to all of the land’s secrets, there had to be an answer somewhere. That was enough to push down my growing despair just as I had the Calamity.

“I suppose you’re right,” I hesitantly agreed, “in any case, I’ll have to test the limits to this power before I misfire again. I’ll need you to look after my body when that happens. My power seems to be able to sense disturbances in the land, which will let me know when Calamity wakes, but I have no idea what to do after he breaks the surface.”

“How much time do we have?”

“It will lay dormant for a bit longer, but I don’t know if it’s for months or years.”

“Does this have anything to do with why we’re headed for Tanagar Canyon?”

I nodded, “The Calamity sleeps under Hyrule Castle. When it wakes, we’ll have to get the castle and town’s inhabitants to safety.”

As I spoke, Maritta Exchange came into view, and I urged my horse into a gallop until we reached the rigging the Sheikah had crafted to grant easy access to the temple. It was a platform that could be raised and lowered with the help of a pulley system, and seemed large enough to fit thirty people, or multiple guardians. The first pulley system lowered onto the roof of the temple itself, while there was a second one that led to the entrance itself. Thanks to the engineering at play, Link and I were inside the temple in a matter of minutes.

To my delight the interior of the temple had been transformed.

Gone was the lonely, abandoned emptiness of the building’s inner workings, replaced with hundreds of Sheikah improvements to help make navigating around the temple’s cracks and failing stonework. There were ladders and stairs and paths crossing gaps that allowed the Sheikah researchers to get up close and personal with some of the decayed guardians that had been installed at various places. Link and I stepped onto yet another pulley system that put us at ground level. Robbie came to meet us, a bounce in his step.

“Welcome, Your Grace! I must say it’s an honor to have you here at our research site, at this rate we should have no problems annihilating the Calamity together!”

He was so enthusiastic I couldn’t help but smile, even after the long night.

“Your confidence is inspiring, Robbie, but I’m afraid I have a big favor to ask you.”

“Say the word and it shall be done!”

“I plan to use the Forgotten Temple as an evacuation site for the Castle Town, as well as the Castle itself. I need you to make the necessary preparations,” I explained. Robbie paused, hesitant.

“You don’t mean you doubt your abilities to face the Calamity? There is no need to worry, Your Grace, you have the might of the Sheikah behind you, and no matter what your father has told you we know you will reign victorious.” 

My heart warmed at his faith in me, but I continued on, “It isn’t a matter of whether or not I can face the Calamity. The fact remains that when it emerges it will be from underneath Hyrule Castle, putting everyone in the direct vicinity in danger. It isn’t a matter of if but when, and I think this temple is defensible enough that it will be spared the brunt of the Calamity. You have already laid down the groundwork for getting in and out of the Forgotten Temple with relative ease. It shouldn’t be an impossibility to make a functional shelter for the capital residents.”

Robbie scratched the back of his head, deep in thought.

“While I would love to carry out your order, especially for the sake of the people, I’m afraid I won’t be able to get the necessary supplies to support a group that size without the support of the king.”

“You have my support,” I reassured, “I will get you the supplies we need.”

I went to speak further, but I was interrupted by my stomach growling. 

I hadn’t time to eat at the castle before hearing of Leah’s disappearance, and now that I had settled from the shock of the night my body began to cry for maintenance. 

“We’ll talk of the specifics after breakfast, Your Grace, please wait here while I make the necessary arrangements”

Robbie hurried off to find us a meal, and while I would have loved to spend my day running about looking at the guardians, I felt the desire for a moment's rest pull harder. The sleepless night was about to take its toll. I struggled to keep my eyes open enough to walk around, but Link was guiding me to sit down against a wall before sitting down beside me. I yawned before leaning into his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around me, his hand on my hip and my forehead pressed into the side of his neck. 

I drifted away, knowing that wherever I went, Link would be waiting here when I returned.


	9. Rise

I found myself in a city in the sky. It was peaceful, but isolated. A last bastion. What drew my attention wasn’t the multitude of houses containing sleeping villagers, but the massive statue of the goddess watching over the island. Underneath its feet slept the sword I had been searching for, but before I could get a closer look at it, I was ripped away from the sky and brought down to earth.

Next I was in the Temple of Time, but a smaller version of it, with only the core building standing. There, to, say the holy sword. Then it was under the sea, in a kingdom frozen in time.

Finally, I could see the Sword to the north east, sleeping beneath a tree in the depths of the fog ridden forest near the Castle.

* * *

My eyes snapped open to late afternoon, still resting my head on Link’s shoulder. Link himself was wide awake, observing the hustle and bustle of the temple before shifting his gaze to me when I stirred. 

“Good morning,” he greeted, while I yawned and stretched.

“Good afternoon, more likely,” I teased, “I think it’s time we head out, we can’t avoid the castle forever.”

“You should eat first,” Link suggested, nodding to the basket of bread and fruit that Robbie had left for us. I took a slice of bread and a few wildberries to munch on, playing with the Sheikah slate as I did so. I was curious to see if the magnesis rune would work on the guardians, so I swiped my finger across the screen to switch from the camera that I had used to take pictures of the Temple when we first entered. Instead of switching applications, as I had thought, I was instead directed to what was originally a blank screen. Now, however, there were two dots towards the bottom of the screen, as well as various lines seemingly dividing the screen at random. Curious, I tapped my finger to the bottom dot.

I dissolved into the air.

It was a surreal experience, really, having my conscious cast up to Hyrule without my intent. I watched as a collection of glowing blue rays as it traversed the sky before settling and coalescing inside the Shrine of Resurrection, calling my mind back into my body. I looked around, amazed. I had traveled miles in a matter of a moment. I turned to Link to ask what he-

He wasn’t there.

Why wasn't he there?

Of course he wasn’t there, he was stuck in Tanagar Canyon. I sat down against a wall before sending my awareness out, Link wasn’t here to catch me after all.

I zoomed in the Forgotten Temple, where Link appeared to be shooting himself up the ladder connected to the entrance as fast as he could, skipping several rungs at a time.

“Link,” I called out to him, and he stopped, clinging to the rungs for dear life, his forehead pressed into stone.

“Princess?!”

“It appears the Sheikah Slate is capable of transporting people to any destination registered to the Slate. I-”

_“Are you trying to kill me?”_

From my place in the sky, I could see how his breath came out in ragged bursts, how his knuckles were white and shaking with tension. I couldn’t reach out to him physically, but I tried to instill a sense of calm, just as I had when I found Leah tossing and turning in bed. It took a while, but he calmed enough to pull himself to the top of the ladder where he leaned against the wall with one hand and held the other over his eyes.

“You disappeared before my eyes. Gone,” he muttered so softly that I wouldn’t have heard it if I wasn’t aware of everything at that moment.

“I’m so sorry, Link. I never meant to make you worry,” I insisted, and I would have given everything in that moment to be there by his side at that moment. To wrap my arms around him and prove that I was alright. Link took a deep breath, then straightened, turning his eyes to the sky I inhabited.

“It’s not your fault, you didn’t know the Slate would do that,” he huffed out a quick breath, “where did you say you were?”

* * *

That’s how I ended up spending the rest of the day with Purah before Link met me and escorted me back to the castle, where the king was waiting there for me.

I entered the Sanctum just as the sun set, Link in tow. The King rose from the throne when I entered but didn’t descend the stairs. Leah stood beside him, looking smaller than I had ever seen her. I stopped dead center in the room, and waited for him to address me.

“It doesn’t look good when the crown princess doesn’t attend her own birthday celebration,” the king said in lieu of a greeting.

“Worse still when the king fails to escort his own daughter to a ball held in her honor,” I bit back. If he was going to play such games, he’d better be prepared to lose. He didn’t take my refutation well, eyebrows carving anger into his brow.

“I will not hear you speak such nonsense!”

“Then let’s speak of the Calamity,” I cried, arms spread wide, “There are measures we, as the Hyrulean royal family, must take.”

The king scoffed, “The impotent princess wants to lecture me on how to best prepare for the apocalypse.”

I burned at his blatant disrespect. I wanted to shout, let loose my wrath as I had back at the Plateau. Perhaps I would have were I not painfully aware of the apocalypse brewing under our feet.

“The Calamity won’t sleep forever, and when it wakes it will tear this castle apart whether we can stop it or not. We must take measures to protect the servants and the citizens of Castle Town. We must prepare a temporary shelter for them while we battle the Calamity.”

The king smiled a condescending, wicked smile that sent my blood boiling. I reined it in, ever conscious of the malice roiling beneath my feet.

So that’s where Leah got it from. I knew she wasn’t one to carelessly look down on others. She wasn't so bitterly superior. Her words on the Plateau were just an echo of what the king told her.

“You think I don’t know what you’re playing at, daughter? I know what this is. You’re terrified because you have yet to fulfill your purpose and you want a safety net. I’ll admit your idea has merit, so I’ll make you a deal, show me you hold the sealing power and I will indulge your request. After all, it’s not like it would do any good if your failure persists after the Calamity rises.”

This was the second time my own flesh and blood had condescended to me so shamelessly, and I found my patience wearing thin.

It was tempting, really, to shout some sense into him with my immortal voice that was undeniably divine.

How sweet it would be, to put that Golden Power to words, to reach into the wilds of Hyrule and demonstrate my dominion over all that lived and breathed.

I felt my soul sink into the earth, ready to call upon every creature to send their voice to heaven until the King’s blasphemous words were shoved back down his throat. 

Link sensed the shift in me, covertly placing a hand on the small of my back, ready to catch me if I left my body behind.

His touch cut through the malicious haze in my mind, and I knew I had to calm down. I latched on to my knight, grabbing hold of his heart and drinking from the seemingly bottomless well of his self restraint. He gave it freely, lighting my way back to reality.

I knew that if I used my voice yet again, especially so close to the beast, it would wake. 

So I said nothing. 

Instead I turned on my heel and left without a word, waiting until I was outside to send a servant to ready the horses.

“Pack a bag, Sir knight. We’re touring the land. It’s high time Hyrule met it’s Hylian Champion.” 

“Where shall we start?” Link asked, the fire of anticipation in his eyes.

“The Lost Woods.”


	10. The Lost Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've changed the previous chapter a bit as of March 13, so if you want this one to make sense you'll have to go back and read it. You don't have to read the whole thing, just the interaction between Zelda and King Rhoam at the end.

I stormed down the castle path, wanting to grab the necessary items for the trip as soon as possible so we’d be on our way before the council had time to stop us. 

Behind me, Link tensed, moving to come between me in the shadows, causing me to look into the darkness. A tall silhouette put a hand on her hip and let out a laugh. 

“Now where’s my little bird flying off to in such a hurry?”

“Urbosa!” 

I ran into her arms, grinning from ear to ear. Urbosa always knew how to bring me back to myself, which I desperately needed.

I thought back to the rage and malice that coursed through me in the Sanctum, and let go before heading down the castle path.

“Let’s talk in the library. We have much to discuss before we leave,” I went to continue, but Link tucked his arm into my elbow, gently prompting me to stop. I turned to him, questioning him with a tilt of my head.

“You haven’t slept properly in almost two days. You’ll get sick if you run yourself ragged.”

“But-” I objected.

“It can wait a day,” Link reassured, and moved to guide me towards my room. I resisted, and Link turned to me, the question in his eyes.

“It’s too close to the Sanctum.” 

Too close to the Calamity.

I tried to put more of my concerns to words, but I didn’t need to. He understood. Down to the library we went, and on my way I accosted a maid and requested as many blankets and pillows as she could find, along with the supplies for my next trip. When I walked through the castle halls with Urbosa, I noticed something strange. Link had separated from us to find something to eat. While it was true that Link was the easiest to find when I cast my eyes to all of Hyrule, usually I had to make an effort to do so. Now, however, it seemed that a bit of my awareness followed him now, and I found myself unconsciously tracking his movement through the castle. It seemed that the reverse was also true, as I could feel a tiny bit of him nestled in one of the corners of my consciousness.

I had taken something from him in the moment I used him to light my way back to myself in the Sanctum. I had traded a bit of his mental fortitude and replaced it with the rage I felt in that moment, and that bargain had tethered us together.

That wasn’t a fair trade at all.

I guiltily reached out to him as he reached the kitchens, trying to return that slice of his sense of calm, grabbing hold of the rage he now hosted. He resisted, mind closing around my anger and pushing his tranquility back towards me. He didn’t want it back. I sent a question towards him, needing to be certain.

_ Are you sure? _

I felt his grip tighten around the shard of myself that now slept inside him, and that was all the answer I needed.

As I suspected, the library was quiet and empty. Urbosa followed me to one of the tables and we sat together.

“You don’t seem to get along with your appointed knight, which doesn’t surprise me considering what your sister told me.”

I quirked a brow, “What did she tell you?”

“Only that when you left the party to give chase you left him behind in favor of that Sheikah guard, an accusation that did not sit well with your father. Especially when you show up in clothes to match,” she gestured to my outfit, which I hadn’t had a chance to change when I got back. I rolled my eyes, then leaned in.

“This stays between us, but that Sheikah guard  _ is  _ my appointed knight. In order to ensure our swift exit, Impa gave us some of her people’s armor to make sure we left the castle undetected. It blows my mind that they didn’t think to find out where he was as soon as my departure was discovered.”

Urbosa threw back her head in a laugh, and I couldn’t help but laugh along.

“So you're getting along alright?”

“He’s a goddess send Urbosa, he’s helped me in more ways than you can imagine.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” she hesitated, then continued gently, “how goes the search for your powers?”

My shoulders slumped, and her brow furrowed in sympathy.

“Still nothing? You shouldn’t worry, you have time.”

“It’s worse than that Urbosa,” I cried, “My powers have awakened, but not the right one. For Hylia’s sake, I’ve almost awoken the Calamity twice now since I’ve gained them.”

“But you have your power, though? Isn’t that something to celebrate?”

“Not when that power is useless against the beast. I was able to put it asleep for a while longer, but not forever, and once he wakes there’s nothing I can do. I don’t have the sealing power, only an increased awareness over the land,” I lamented, leaning my head on her shoulder. She put an arm around me.

“Is that what you were arguing with your father about?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I needed him to do something in preparation for the Calamity, but he insisted that I show some evidence of the sealing power before he took any type of action, but after what happened with Leah on the Great Plateau I don’t know how to do that without provoking the beast to wake early.”

“What happened on the Plateau?” Urbosa asked.

“Link was officially knighted the morning of my birthday, and right before the ceremony Leah prodded me about the Hylian Champion, and I informed her that she wasn’t going to be it, so that night she snuck out to the Great Plateau to take the trial, and I knew she would wreak havoc when she found that she couldn’t, and I didn’t want her to cause a bigger rift between the Hyrulean royal family and the Sheikah, so Link and I followed her and talked her down. She said some things, and I lost my temper. I shouted at her in my immortal voice, which almost roused the Calamity.”

“Immortal voice?”

“That’s what I’ve been calling it. I can cast my awareness to the sky so I can watch over all Hyrule, and when I do I have a certain amount of influence over its inhabitants, which only increases when I use my voice.”

Urbosa held up a hand, “So all those reports of people waking up in the middle of the night filled with adrenaline and all the animals stampeding over the land, that was you?”

“I believe so, yes.”

“Everyone chalked it as a sign of the upcoming Calamity, but if it was your influence, then perhaps we can relax.”

I shook my head, “They weren’t the only ones who woke up, the Calamity also stirred from its slumber, and I barely managed to ease it back asleep. I’m afraid if I use this power again it will break free for real. It sleeps beneath the Sanctum.”

“That’s why you're avoiding your room,” Urbosa guessed, and I nodded.

“Being close to it . . . corrupted me somehow. When the king belittled me as he always did, I was infected with the Calamity’s malice. I almost cleaved the world in two just to get my father to  _ listen _ to me.”

“So what did you ask your father that he felt the need to talk down to you?”

“At the moment my plan for when the Calamity begins to awake is to hold below the ground as long as possible to give the people of the Castle and Town time to escape to Tanagar Canyon. The Sheikah have made accessing it easier, and there is a huge structure we call the Forgotten Canyon that is both defensible and large enough to shelter everyone that might otherwise be in the line of fire, but we need supplies in order to make it a proper evacuation sight.”

“What kind of supplies?

“Food, blankets, medicine, tents. We need to transform the Forgotten Temple into a temporary city. The Sheikah have made great strides in improving the infrastructure leading to the temple, but the rest is impossible without outside support.”

“The Gerudo will lend whatever supplies we can,” Urbosa resolved, and I smiled. I felt hope swell in my chest.

“Thank you Urbosa, and I’ll try my best to negotiate support from the other factions so you won’t be the only ones giving aid. This is going to work! I promise!”

Urbosa chuckled.

“I don’t doubt it.”

Link came back with plates filled with food for us to share, and we talked late into the night before sleeping until late morning. Urbosa left after lunch, needing to be back in Gerudo Town where I would formally ask her assistance both as the Champion of Vah Naboris and as the Chief of the Gerudo. The king didn’t seek me out that day, no doubt expecting obedience even without his interference. He would be disappointed, however, as I spent the day preparing for what would be a long journey before heading out as the sun set, Link and I ready to travel all over Hyrule.

The sting of destiny crackled through the night air as we walked the road that would lead us to the sword that sang to me in my dreams. We said nothing, only listening to the steady hoofbeats of our horses as they carried us to our destination. The stallion underneath me pranced a bit before settling into step, restless. The stallion was a gift for my birthday, apparently he had been born from my mother’s favored mare. Hearing that fact made me sit a little straighter in the saddle. Link was quiet for the first leg of the journey, but as we skirted around the military training camp he started to shift in his seat, and I could feel his anticipation through our bond. He would urge his steed to go faster, then return to himself and slow down to keep pace with me. His breath heaved in his chest and his eyes locked on the path ahead, transfixed like a compass needle pointing north. 

Finally, we plunged ourselves into the mist that kept the Lost Woods from the rest of the world. Link dismounted, and I followed. I may take the first steps when we walked the breadth of Hyrule, but here in this forest shrouded in secrets, the air authority clung to Link like a warm blanket. I barely had time to tie up my horse before Link took hold of my hand and practically dragged me through the mist. First on way, then another, before he stilled between two lit fires.

“I don’t know the way,” Link admitted in distress. The urgency had not left him, only manifested itself in the speed of his motions when he looked around. He squeezed my hand

“I’m lost but I- I can’t- I can’t leave yet. It’s right there. It’s just out of my reach. If I could only-” Link’s words came out in a tumble, he still hadn’t looked at me, still desperately searching for the right way to go. He almost seemed to be in pain and my heart went out to him. I lifted a hand to the fog and gave a gentle shove, like knocking on a door. Before my eyes the mist parted, carving a path through the foreboding unknown.

Link didn’t hesitate, just charged forward until the air cleared and we were surrounded by the vibrant green that spoke of life and love and courage. 

And there it was, standing before us in its ancient vigil. The blade that invaded my mind. It sat still underneath an archaic, massive tree, yet still hummed the sweet promise of righteous might. It seemed alive, so much so that I half expected it to spring up and dance before us in the shining moonlight. 

Link marched up to the holy sword to claim what was his by birthright and sacred obligation.

I followed silently, still dressed in the navy blue of the Sheikah, and stood by as he went to take hold of the sword.

He hesitated, then looked back at me, a sliver of doubt in his eyes. I smiled at him, which he returned before facing forward once more. He planted his feet, took hold of the sword, and  _ pulled _ .

He drew the sword, and I breathed a sigh of euphoric relief.

The world had finally begun to turn on its axis.

Below the ground, I felt the beast shrink back in fear.

Link turned to me, triumph sewn into every aspect of his being.

I smiled. We would face the Calamity together, and we would drive it back into oblivion.

Around us, the forest erupted in noise, birds sand and the laughter of children echoed through the air.

“Ah, you’ve returned.”

Link and I looked up in unison as the tree that marked the center of the Lost Woods twisted until a face was visible.

“It brings me joy to welcome you home once again, Hero, and my greetings to the White Lady. I am known as the Great Deku Tree, and I have long waited for the day I would see you again.”

Link looked down at the sword in his hands.

“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else, I’ve never set foot in this place.”

A deep chuckle came from the Great Deku Tree.

“You have lived a thousand lifetimes and you may yet live a thousand times more, but there is no mistaking your eyes. The blade you carry is sworn to serve only one Master and you, Hero, have come to reclaim it once more. We of the forest pray for your victory and your prosperity.”

With that, the Great Deku Tree settled back into sleep, leaving us with little recourse. Thankfully, however, Link was quickly accosted by Koroks, creatures I had previously thought to only exist in folklore. I was beginning to realize that the more I grew the more I seemed to walk among legends.

It was hard to discern the many voices of the Koroks as they crowded around ‘Mr. Hero’ but we were eventually led to a sizable chamber inside the Deku Tree itself, a prospect I preferred not to think about. There, against all reasonable explanation, sat a bed ready and waiting to be used. Without a word, Link took my hand and sat me on the bed before sitting on the floor and leaning against it himself. I was about to protest, be he had already dozed off, exhausted. I lay down to sleep, and sank into unconsciousness.


	11. Respite

I didn’t dream that night, I only kept watch over the brewing apocalypse under the castle and its inhabitants. I looked over my father’s shoulder, hoping against hope that perhaps he had heeded my request and was working to fulfill it behind the scenes, using only the illusion of rejection to motivate me.

His council saw sense in my suggestion, it seemed, and many had submitted proposals outlining the logistics of creating an evacuation site. He still wouldn’t entertain the notion, spitefully crumpling the proposals before tossing them into the fire.

Still, there was hope for my new plan.

If the council, a group of people that had feasted on the king’s tirades bemoaning my failures for years, could be swayed, then who’s to say that the peoples of Hyrule couldn’t be convinced to back my cause.

Before I met Link, my beloved catalyst, I would have balked a thousand times over at the mere idea of undermining the king’s authority. But now I knew better.

What was a man made throne on a battlefield built for gods?

I was the Goddess’s Avatar, and I would make sure that everyone in Hyrule knew that Hylia spoke through me, not the king. I might not have all the answers, but I had a direction, a course of action.

The king couldn’t say the same.

My quiet watch was interrupted by Link, who blinked awake. He didn’t seem distressed, but when I watched him shift so he could brush his fingers across my sleeping face I could sense an undercurrent of unease. I returned to myself so I could look directly into his warm blue eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, reaching out to tug his ear the same way I tugged on the mental chord that bound us together. His mouth quirked up in a smile

“Nothing's . .  _ wrong _ ,” he insisted, drawing his blade out from its sheath so we could both look at its soft glow in the low light, “It’s almost the opposite. It’s like the last piece of me has finally clicked into place. Thank you for bringing me here. This is the first time I’ve felt sure of myself since my father died. I just wish I could show this to him.”

I smiled a bittersweet smile, “I’m sorry I didn’t attend his funeral.”

“You were there in the only way you could. Watching from afar is better then not coming at all.” 

I recoiled a bit, startled, “You noticed? But I was so far away!”

Link shrugged, turning back around so I couldn’t see his face, “During the ceremony, I tried to think about anything else. I figured that if there was a time to cry, it wouldn’t be in front of all of these friends and strangers, especially if the royal family was there. I found myself looking anywhere that wasn’t the casket, and I saw the way the wind caught your hair and how the sun that shouldn’t have been shining on such a dark day sent it glowing gold into the summer air. I’d thought it strange that you weren’t in attendance. Not just because you’re the religious authority of Hyrule, but also because of how my father spoke of you. He would come home smiling sometimes, telling me about some witty remark you made or what you could do with a bow and how you were every inch your mother’s daughter. My dad used to say that if he didn’t know better, he’d think that the late queen was his sister, and I think for him, watching you grow was a way to deal with your mother’s death. For my dad, you were a sign that a piece of his best friend was still here. For me, you were a welcome distraction, and I find I haven’t been able to keep my eyes off you since.”

His last statement sent my heart running for the hills and blood rushing to my cheeks. In that moment, in the secure quiet of the Great Deku Tree shielding us from the worries of the world, I found myself indulging in the urge to comfort him. Without the eyes that followed our every move in the land of Hyrule, I let myself give him some of the affection that had grown between us during those silent nights in the training room. I found myself running my hand through his hair, reaching around his head to gently draw his bangs back from his forehead, nails gently grazing his scalp. He leaned his head back, and I felt warm gratitude radiate from him, sinking into my skin. I continued to stroke his hair until he fell back asleep before shutting my eyes to savor the rest of the night quiet from the skies.

“Think nothing of it. Your visit has brought me great joy. It has been an age since Link brought his beloved to see us.” 

I felt a rush of embarrassment flood Link, and I tried to smother it with a wave of mirth that I sent his way while I descended into giggles. His face still burned red, but he couldn't stop the smile forming on his face that didn’t drop until we returned to the edge of the Lost Woods. Throughout the walk Link kept drawing the sword from its sheath to twirl it around, slashing through the air at enemies that weren’t yet there. It was reassuring to see the soft, strong glow dispel some of the fog. 

One time while Link was holding the sword with its tip pointed skyward I felt something tug at me from below the ground. It wasn’t the Calamity, to my eternal relief, but a moment from the ancient past that proved pivotal enough to sink into the very earth, threading itself into the tapestry of histories long forgotten.

_ Child of destiny descended from the sky. _

I grabbed onto that memory, using it to find the bond between the Master Sword and the sky that had long since been left to oblivion. It wasn’t unlike the connection that all the dormant shrines shared with the land, only sharper. A connection made to cleave the malice from the land with unyielding light. I mended the attachment, renewing the blade’s potential to send the forces of darkness running from a distance. I put a hand on Link’s bicep, hoping to grab his attention to share my theory with him, but I didn’t need to. He stopped for a moment, then studied the blade, trying to find some visual representation of the change he had sensed within the weapon. After a moment he planted his feet firmly on the ground and raised his sword skyward. 

Slowly, the light emanating from the blade became brighter, from tip to cross guard, before solidifying in a flash, causing both of us to avert our eyes. I felt a slight tug in my stomach as some of the land’s power was condensed into the blade, and I knew that there could be no doubt that the Master Sword was a weapon crafted by Hylia herself. It was painful to look at the blade directly while holy light was coursing through it, but I could still hear a hum of magic radiating from the sword. In one smooth, instinctive motion, Link brought the blade down in one strike, splitting the fog to clear a path in front of us as I had the night before.

“That was you, wasn't it?” Link asked, eyebrow raised. I nodded with a grin, giving his upper arm a playful squeeze. Link beamed down at me before shaking his head.

“What is it?” I asked with a tilted head, smiling in response to the amused affection spilling over from his heart to mine.

“Perish the thought of doubting you,” he muttered, before sheathing the sword and marching forward, taking the hand I had curled in his.

As we walked further down the path, we drew closer to one another. We both knew that once we left the protective mist of the Lost Woods, all eyes would be upon us once again, and we couldn’t give the emotional connection between us a physical manifestation. When we faced the people of Hyrule, we would have to present a united front that focused only on the safety of the citizens. When we left these woods, we would be made of silk and steel, our backs forever straight and eyes pointed forward to whatever we could do next to prepare for the battle. Until we bested the Calamity, we couldn’t afford to act with frivolity, couldn’t give the king a reason to take my Champion away from me.

So we savored our time in the woods, my arm tucking into his so we could walk closer until he wrapped an arm around my waist and I curled my arm around his shoulder. We kept our place slow. Leisurely. Yet it was too soon until our horses came into view, calling out to us in gentle whinnies. I could mount a horse with ease, but I let Link put his hands on my hips and lift me in the saddle as an excuse to have him close for just a few moments longer. He lingered there, maintaining his gentle grip, and I made no move to deter him, only gazing into those blue eyes that looked so heart wrenchingly warm to me.

We were brought crashing back down to reality by the sound of the military camp patrol marching marching up the path. Link gave a soft squeeze before slipping away to mount his own horse, leaving me to swing a leg over my saddle and straighten my spine in preparation of plunging back into reality.


	12. Light

Our time in Zora’s Domain ended up being bittersweet. 

We didn’t need to spend much time with the Gorons, as they were always inclined to get straight to the point and had no problem lending a hand, promising to add some of their trademark rail system to allow for even faster transportation of people and goods throughout the Forgotten Temple, as well as getting a start on preparing a better path to the canyon itself.. Daruk seemed happy for Link, wasting no time congratulating him while I took his measurements. 

Our journey to Necluda passed without incident, and we stopped on the mountain path preceding the bridges to the Domain to change into more formal attire. Link pulled on his royal guard dress uniform while I traded my Sheikah gear for my newly sewn prayer gown. We had our backs turned to each other, but both of us could feel the increased tension crackling between us that didn’t fade until we were halfway across the final bridge to the Domain.

Unlike the minimalist and casual Gorons, the Zora were a proud race of artisans that held ceremony in high regard, so Link and I kept our backs straight and heads held high as we walked at a steady pace up the steps to greet the various dignitaries gathered there. I smiled at Mipha, glad to see her again after all this time. I was hoping to ask her advice in regards to her own power, but I hesitated at the slight tension in her eyes. There was a stiffness that was so unlike her that I found myself reaching down the bridge to Link to ask if he saw it as well, turning my head slightly toward him in the process. I felt a ripple of concerned agreement. I knew that he spent more time with Mipha than I, so I knew that if he saw it too there was something wrong. I made a mental note to check in with her later, but for now I sank into a curtsy, Link bowing in tandem.

“It is an honor to meet with you in your splendid Domain, King Dorephan, I cherish your hospitality and hope for the continuing prosperity and friendship between our peoples.”

“You are well met, High Priestess,” the massive King replied, “It is with open arms and great joy that we welcome your company during these trying times. What brings you to Zora’s Domain?”

I smiled, gesturing to Link, “I have come to introduce the Hylian Champion, Sir Link Vanguard. Not only has he served me well as my appointed knight, but it is he who carries the sword that seals the darkness.”

Whispers began to roar over the crowd. The Master Sword’s true name had been lost to the ages, but everyone had heard of an ancient weapon said to be passed down from one Hero to the next, and how it struck down darkness without fail. With the Master Sword’s presence, the people of Hyrule could begin to hope. I felt Link shift a bit at the weight of the crowd’s attention, so I squeezed the hand that held his elbow, causing him to smile, just a bit. In the cacophony I noticed Mipha slip away and dive into the water.

* * *

There was a feast held that night, where King Dorephan asked Link to share the story of how he came to possess the sword that seals the darkness. We sat at the head table that was held in the throne room while the others all celebrated outside. It was a round table, and Link sat to my right, and Mipha to his. Sidon had eaten with us, but was still too young to socialize late into the night, and had gone to bed. I found myself smiling and carefree. This was the closest thing to a family dinner I’d had in a while.

“I can’t take credit, Your Majesty,” Link began, “It’s true that by some miracle I managed to pull it out of the ground, but it’s by Zelda’s guidance that I’m here at all. It was she who led me to the sword’s location, and I have her to thank for my position.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. He was laying it on a bit thick. But he only smiled back, unrepentant.

“Then we should be grateful that Hyrule is held in such capable hands. If there’s anything the Zora can do to aid you, you need only ask.”

“I’m grateful for your support, King Dorephan. In fact, there is something I would like to ask of you, if you would be so kind.”

He nodded, and I continued.

“As you know, we had previously believed that Calamity Ganon would make its entrance in Hyrule Field, which we have kept relatively empty thus far. However, as of late I’ve acquired an . . . increased awareness of Hyrule as a whole, and it’s shown me that the Calamity rests not below the field, but below Hyrule Castle.” 

Mipha gasped, and the King leaned back considering.

“That puts your people in grave danger.”

I nodded. “That’s why I’ve arranged for a shelter to be built in Tanagar Canyon for those who will be in the line of fire.”

“Why Tanagar Canyon? It’s fairly remote.”

“There’s a massive temple built into the northern edge of the canyon that was lost to time. The Sheikah have made it more accessible and the Gorons have agreed to lend a hand in streamlining transportation.”

I looked down at my hands, now curled tightly into fists, and felt my nails bite into my palm.

“The Zora will help however we can, but I’m concerned that time is running short, what with the disturbance that happened on the eve of your birthday.”

“I do have some influence over the Calamity. I managed to settle it the night it almost woke up.”

“I don’t have the sealing power that everyone’s counting on, but as I am now I’ll be able to sense when the Calamity starts to break free, and I should be able to keep it underground long enough for the people of Castle Town to evacuate.”

“You can do that?” Mipha asked, impressed.

I nodded, then looked down at my hands.

“It’s not a solution, and I don’t know if I should do it again, even if I could. The more effort I put into keeping him asleep now the weaker I’ll be when he truly rises. But I know we have a year.”

King Dorephan sat back in his throne, pensive.

“It seems you are not as helpless as we were led to believe.”

I wanted to bask in the closest thing to praise from a father figure I’d heard in a while, but I had to question further.

“What do the people say about me?”

“It’s not the people, child. They know so little about you. To the common folk, the Calamity is a fairy tale for all they know about it. They are worried, yes, but it’s difficult to imagine a threat that could stand to the Divine Beasts. Her Highness Leah came to visit us not too long ago on a diplomatic visit at the behest of her father telling us that you were powerless and warned us to prepare for the worst.”

“But now that you are here we know better,” the King laughed, “Hear this, Priestess, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who will doubt you if you present the same image you did walking down with your Champion. I may be an optimist, but I believe you will save us yet.” 

After the feast wound down I found Mipha seated on the reservoir dock, feet dangling into the water as she gazed out over Vah Ruta. I hiked up my skirts and sat beside her, sinking my feet beside hers. Mipha wasn’t my sister, but she was close, and for a while we just sat together. After the moon rose a fair bit higher, I lay down on the smooth stone to look out into the stars. I didn’t want to examine the implications of Leah’s visit just yet, so I spoke of something else.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Oh?” she didn’t turn to look at me, but she leaned back on her hands.

“About your healing abilities.”

“Yes?”

I sighed, struggling to put my query to words, “I suppose I was just wondering what it’s like from your perspective. How it feels.”

Mipha lay back so we were side by side once again, “I try to focus on the bright side of things, I suppose. What I like about the person I’m healing. What a nice day it is. Sometimes I like to draw on my dearest memories. Then it’s just channeling that into the other person.”

I sat up. At Mipha’s mention of memories I felt something stir, resonating between be and the land.

“Mipha?”

“What is it?”

“I’m going to go elsewhere for a bit. Could you make sure nothing happens to me?”

“Is this about your power?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Come back soon.”

I didn’t bother looking back to see her catch me.

I flew across the sky, counting the stars as I went, before descending in a spiral into the middle of Hyrule Field, sinking into the soil to peek into the past.

I was taller back then, with dark hair tied back in a loose braid that trailed behind me as the horse I was riding circled around a brute of a man with fiery hair and evil eyes. Link steered the horse in front of me. I couldn’t see his face, but his pointed cap marked him as the Hero of this age. I took aim, drawing back a bow that shot arrows of light at our adversary. It hit home, but before I could take another shot I was sucked back into the present.

I landed back in the Domain with a jolt. I stood and walked down the dock, needing to move. 

“Well?” Mipha called, jogging after me.

“I need a moment,” I responded, before pacing.

That glimpse of the past was a good start, but it wasn’t enough. Mipha said she drew on happy memories. I didn’t have much of those to speak of, but I had moments where I felt powerful, calm and capable.

I thought back to each and every night I spent shooting at targets with Link. Every hour straining to regain my own skill and an imitation of my late Mother’s. I took the strong, sure feeling inside me and gave it form, reaching out to a solid curve that fit in my hand like a glove. Mipha sucked in a breath, and I turned to grin at her before running down the reservoir. I found Link strolling down one of the paths in the Domain proper, munching on one apple with one hand while tossing one up in the air before catching it again. I felt a rare moment of gleeful mischief rise in me, so I took aim, waiting until he gave the apple another toss before sending an arrow whistling through the air.

It hit the apple at the peak of its arc, pinning it to the Zora wall beside him. Within an instant, the Master Sword was drawn and pointed in my direction, where he met my eyes as I held the Bow up and ready. He froze, baffled, before turning just in time to see the light arrow pinning his apple to the wall dissolve. He watched the apple fall and roll on the ground before turning to me, looking even more lost than he was a moment ago.

I burst out laughing, letting the Bow of Light dissipate so I could hold my sides. I felt Link’s confusion grow though the bond, and I doubled over, unable to contain myself.

I let myself laugh with abandon for the first time in ten years, ending the night with a rare moment of levity.


	13. Gerudo Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie this may have escalated more than I meant it to, hence the rating change.

From that evening on, Link and I toured the land at our leisure. There was no need to rush, Impa had informed the King that I was touring the land with my knight in an attempt to visit all holy places, including the Springs. He couldn’t scold me for following his request to visit the Springs. In reality, I was having a ball traveling with Link. He would challenge me to hit certain targets he pointed out, and eventually I was responsible for a good portion of our meals consisting of fowl and the occasional deer. I would goad him into climbing various structures just to see how fast he could go. From up high he could see any number of things, a place to camp, a bird’s nest, or even a nice clearing to stop for lunch. Whenever he saw something interesting, he would wave to me and I could use the connection between us to look through his eyes when he allowed it.

We took in the wilds together, and I relished every leaf, flower, and blade of grass. The buildings, villages, even the castle would rise and fall in the sea of time, but the true beauty of Hyrule had remained constant over the millennia. It instilled a sense of contentment I didn’t hesitate to share with Link, still a bit guilty for the spark of rage that still boiled deep inside him.

We were crossing the Blatchery Plain when a moment of panic hit me. If I was recognized crossing Fort Hateno, my Father would surely catch wind of it, and he’d have me escorted back to the castle to question what I was doing on the road to Hateno when there were no notable holy sites in the region. We were going to be caught.

I felt Link tap the bridge between us, and I turned to look at him. He made a show of covering his face with the Sheikah gear. He’d taken to wearing it instead of his knight’s armor, stating that he liked how fast he could move around in it. He was technically out of uniform, but I wasn’t going to begrudge him the tighter attire and the view it afforded, even if I was beginning to miss his low ponytail a bit.

I’d also replaced my regular research gear with it as well, which meant that both of us were able to pass under the gates without recognition. We managed to conclude our business in Hateno with unexpected ease, Link standing guard with the Master Sword for people to stare at while I arranged for any excess textiles to be sent to the Maritta Exchange where they could be fashioned into tents, bedding, and bandages as needed. From there it was a sailing trip to Lurelin to help pad out provisions. The people of Lurelin knew well how to weather a storm, and were more than ready.

Before I knew it, a month had passed and we were standing at the entrance to Gerudo Town as the sun set from the sky. We made no effort to hurry to any of our destinations, and stopped to smell the roses at every opportunity. I wanted to stay away from the Calamity for as long as I could, and I wanted to savor every minute of this freedom while I had it.

Link and I had continued to circle closer to each other in a slow dance that had me counting every smile, blush, and brush of skin that sparked between us whenever we walked side by side. By the time we had made it to the desert, there were times when we would forgo a tent entirely and spend the night leaning against him, head resting on his shoulder as he pressed his cheek on the crown of my head. At first he would keep watch late into the night, sleeping only when we were in a settlement or for a few hours after dawn. 

One day when I roused him to send him running to dispatch a group of crimson clad assassins. I kept sleeping while he fought, capitalizing on the increased awareness granted to me while my body rested. He had stopped by a river on his way back, taking the opportunity to strip off his shirt to rinse off some of the blood that had stained it before taking a quick dive in himself. I’ll admit a bit more of my attention was drawn to him in the time he spent scrubbing his shirt with his pants rolled up. There wasn’t much opportunity for a crown princess to examine a man in detail, much less one partially undressed, and I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip by me. He didn’t seem to mind, if the teasing tug on my mind was any indication.

I woke up right when he strode into camp, sly smile creeping onto his face.

“Did you have a sweet dream, princess?”

I balled up the blanket I was using and threw it into his face before dissolving into a fit of giggles that kept most of the blush off of my face.

From that day on Link would rest when I would, confident that I would know of any threats before he did and would wake him when necessary. As a result, both of us were bright eyed and bushy tailed when we appeared at the gate of Gerudo Town. 

Urbosa ushered me inside the gate as the guards led Link somewhere around the wall I couldn’t see. I followed Urbosa into the Noble Canteen, the bar that drew women from across Hyrule. If the bustling trade didn’t draw you to the desert town, the booze would.

I was still too young to partake of alcohol, but Urbosa ordered a voltfruit soda for me while we chatted. She poured a bit of her Noble Pursuit into my glass with a wink, giving it a small kick. It wasn’t enough to get me tipsy, but the forbidden nature of the gesture was more than enough to put me in a sharing mood. We talked for hours, first about the Forgotten Temple, then Vah Naboris, until finally my mind wandered to Link.

“Whatever did you do with Link? I know he isn’t allowed in Gerudo Town.”

Urbosa smiled a wicked grin, “It’s true Voe are not allowed within the city limits, but the palace is property of the Chief, which means rules can be bent. The royal guest suite has a door that leads to the desert that allows for limited access to distinguished male guests. You’re not the first queen to bring her consort to Gerudo Town.”

I choked on my drink, feeling as though lightning had struck in the midst of a calm night, sending any sense of peace running.

“I’m sorry?” I asked, face burning. Urbosa threw back her head and laughed.

“All of Hyrule is abuzz with the news that the Golden Princess is spreading her blessings throughout the land arm in arm with her Champion Consort. There’s already rumors of a wedding being held after the Calamity is dealt with.”

“But that’s preposterous!” I exclaimed, completely caught off guard.

“So there’s nothing going on between you two?”

I couldn’t bring myself to deny it, even if every ounce of royal protocol told me I should. There were my feelings for him, yes, but I saw the way he looked at me. I watched his eyes linger on my face and figure by the firelight. I knew he would run his fingers through my hair sometimes during the nights I rested against him instead of in a bedroll and I knew that there was a reason he cradled a part of me deep in his heart, even if it would bring him no peace.

Urbosa had her answer, and she sent me to bed with a knowing look in her eye and an assurance that the doors to my room were closely guarded and the soldiers would hear me should I cry out.

* * *

I opened the door to the bedroom find Link on the bed, tending to the Master Sword in the loose pants that he slept in whenever we spent the night somewhere with walls. His hair was down for once, making the scene feel more intimate in its vulnerability, sending my heart fluttering. There was always a veil of decorum that followed us in the wild. Even though we let many pretenses fall, there was always the feeling that someone could come around the bend or just out of the trees that kept us adhered to a sense of minimum propriety.

It had been a long time since we were alone together behind closed doors.

Link looked up, and raised a brow at me in confusion.

“What brings you by?”

“It appears that Urbosa, as well as the rest of Hyrule, have come to hold the assumption that we are a couple, and this room is meant to accommodate the both of us.”

I watched as his eyes widened, then darkened in tandem with the flush of his cheeks.

“Did you tell her otherwise?”

I held his gaze, “No.”

He began to put away the kit he kept to maintain the Master Sword and I took the opportunity to step behind the screen and change into a nightgown and take my hair from its braid. The tension between us hadn’t subsided in those few moments separated by a screen. Link had moved from the center of the bed to the side closest to the door, leaning against his palms as he watched me come out from behind the screen. I felt something coil within me when I saw his eyes trace over me. I circled the bed, coming to his side and running my hand up his bare arm as I swung a leg over to his other side.

His hands clasped around my hips, squeezing as my hands trailed his shoulders on their way to bury in his hair. We gazed at each other for a moment, stretching this feeling out. We both knew we couldn’t have many moments like this. Gerudo Town held a particular kind of secrecy, the spice laced into the desert night air promised a safe haven for a small exploration of each other. I relished in the feeling of his thumbs pressing soft circles into my back, and he shivered at the gentle scratch of my nails against his scalp. 

He pressed his lips to mine, and I leaned into him. 

I’d had other kisses in the past. Swift, chaste things shared between stable boys and the occasional visiting noble youth. They were dalliances of innocence, in retrospect. The curiosity of a twelve year old culminated in experimentation tinged with shyness and the strange sweetness that came with a childish peck on the lips.

This was the first kiss that burned.

It was slow moving and seductive. I took one hand from his hair to curl around his neck while the other tightened around his blond locks, drawing a low growl from his throat that made delicious promises.

Link’s trailed a hand up my back and pressed me to him as he leaned back into the pillows, his mouth never leaving mine. My hands moved to trail down his sides, and I gasped when I felt his hands tracing patterns between my shoulder blades. Link turned, shifting us so we were facing each other on our sides, his arm cushioning my head while his free hand glided on the curve of my waste. We separated, breaths coming out uneven before we settled into a rhythm.

“You have no idea how long I wanted to do that,” Link breathed out in a chuckle. 

I smiled, “I might have an idea.”

He pressed his lips to my forehead, and we both stilled, drifting away together.


	14. Fighting Words

We didn’t spend much time in Gerudo Town, though staying for a week or more was tempting. However, we agreed that it was best to move on to Rito Village sooner rather than later. I think we both knew the danger of continuing to stay together behind closed doors, and whatever adventures we would have in the bedroom would have to wait until after the Calamity. 

As we were riding away from the stable at the mouth of the desert, I eyed the blade strapped to Link’s saddle. The Master Sword was strapped to his back, as it always was, but he still kept track of the broadsword issued to him as a member of the royal guard with the intent of returning it eventually.

“What is it?” Link asked, taking note of my interest.

“Would you teach me swordsmanship?” I asked, preparing a list of arguments as to how and why it would be beneficial. 

“Sure.”

I stared at him with a cocked head, surprised that he didn’t seem to consider. He saw my look and shrugged.

“You started to smile again after you began practicing archery at night, and you’ve already mastered the discipline. I can’t deny you for wanting to expand your knowledge. Besides,” he nodded at the sword strapped to his saddle, “I have an extra.”

And so, when we made camp that evening, Link unstrapped the scabbard from his steed's saddle and handed it to me. I surveyed the blade. When I was researching possible places for the Master Sword, one source of frustration was how similar the hilts of royal issue swords were shaped, only to be pointed in the opposite direction of what I expected, leading to many false positives. Now that I had gotten a closer look at both this blade and the sword that seals the darkness, the similarities seemed uncanny.

“Do you think these swords have been modeled after yours?” I asked, turning to Link as he built a fire to ward off the encroaching darkness. He cocked a brow.

“What do you mean?”

“I’d always thought that the design of these swords had been an homage to the royal iconography, but now it seems like the cross guards for the royal issue swords are a near perfect inversion of yours.”

“Maybe, but it seems a little weird considering how the Master Sword’s whereabouts were unknown for centuries before you came along.”

“Perhaps the past isn’t as lost as we think it is,” I mused, before taking a seat beside Link by the fire. We ate in silence, before Link stood to hold a hand out to me. He led me to the edge of the fire before drawing the Master Sword, nodding for me to do the same.

“Well, let’s get started.”

We spent the next few nights going over the basics of swordplay, Link going through the motions for me to emulate. He said that it was good for him to go over the basics, especially when he had to get used to the greater length of the Master Sword. After an hour of practicing the basic strokes, Link had me put down the sword and had me assume the basic stance for hand to hand combat, feet shoulder width apart with my arms out in front of me.

“The sword and the bow are alike in that they rely on manufactured instinct. Where they differ lies in the spontaneity nature of close quarters combat. The core of archery is accuracy, whereas the heart of swordplay is the reaction.”

He drilled me in hand to hand combat, teaching me how to block before I threw punches, but by the time we reached Rito village he was sparring with me. 

He didn’t go easy, always stopping just before the blade hit my skin, and he would tell me what I did wrong, and how to fix it. Countless times, he sent the sword flying from my hand, and sent me falling backward. I had no hope of besting him in swordplay, just as he held no expectation of ever beating me in a shooting match. I focused instead on adding to the time he had to take to beat me. I was beaten in seconds, then a minute, and then two. I was up to five minutes when we made our introductions at Rito Village.

Revali, the Rito Champion wasn’t there to meet us, though he knew when we were coming. The Rito Elder directed us to the Flight Range after we made arrangements for the Rito to send supplies to the canyon. He didn’t stop to greet us when we arrived, choosing to instead finish his rounds of shooting bomb arrows, sending wooden targets splintering apart before coming to land before us in a flash of snow. The stone had blackened behind him to mark where his targets had been.

“You have need of me. To defeat Calamity Ganon.”

“It would be an honor is you join us against the fight as the pilot of Vah Medoh,” I answered. He turned away with a sniff.

“I hesitate to follow someone powerless, especially if it’s to assist this . . . _boy_ you’ve chosen.”

His tone echoes the king’s. Without a whisper, I summoned the Bow of Light into my hands, aimed at one of the remaining targets before firing in the blink of an eye.

My arrow grazed one of his arrows as it raced by, stealing his attention as it cleaved a fissure into the stone behind it. Revali turned to me with wide eyes and a still mouth.

“I make no claims to perfection,” I said with a snarl, “but I’m far from powerless.”

* * *

We didn’t stay with the Rito for long, leaving our horses at the stable in favor of riding the Master Cycle Zero to the Forgotten Temple. I wanted to test the bike’s capabilities in a harsh environment, and it performed beautifully, delivering us over the snow faster than a horse at full gallop. I would like to say that my motives were purely scientific, but I couldn’t deny the satisfaction I felt after a whole day of holding tight to my beloved, resting my chin on his shoulder as he steered us to the canyon.

Things were coming along better than I had expected, the Sheikah had begun organizing and storing the supplies they had already received from various settlements and were marking off spaces for tents and other facilities. The biggest change had to be the movement of the guardians. All of the mobile ones had been moved to the canyon, where various field tests could be run. On the inside, Robbie had managed to mount all of the legless guardians on the walls and ceiling, making room for evacuation preparations on the floor, where I could see the Goron’s handiwork in evening out the previously treacherous terrain.

“I managed to connect these guardians to a whole new network, Your Grace,” Robbie explained, gesturing to the suspended machines.

“For now, they act as a security system, but I have so many plans, for now though, I’ve gotten them to do this!” 

He struck a pose before slamming a button down on a remote he held in his hand. All at once, the guardians came to life, turning their heads this way and that, scanning for any threats.

“Incredible,” I whispered, before turning to him in hopes of asking for an explanation.

“Your Grace!”

I turned to see a Sheikah guard I usually saw at the castle running to me at full speed before kneeling in front of me.

“The king plans to name her highness Leah the Champions’ Commander in your place. He plans to make the announcement as soon as you return to Castle Town.”


	15. Reckoning

There were so many reasons why that wouldn’t work that I couldn’t be bothered to be angry.

That being said, the king’s actions were starting to get out of hand. It was one thing to waste words trying to grind me down in hopes of trying to get me into whatever shape he thought success looked like, it was another thing entirely to get in my way.

“And when does he think I’ll return?” I asked the guard.

“He predicts you’ll return in two weeks.”

Well, that was more than enough time to speed things up. I sent four messengers to the corners of Hyrule with the message to meet me at the Sealed Grounds one week from now, as well as someone to retrieve the cloth I’d chosen for the Champions’ garments as well as everything I needed to bring them into reality. In the meantime, I spent the time honing the foundations of swordsmanship with Link. The Shiekah had set aside the chamber that held the mammoth Goddess Statue for our use, and we used it as both a sparring ring and living quarters. 

We spent the next few days there, and when we weren’t exercising I was working diligently to finish each of the garments for the Champions. 

“Link!” I called one day, summoning him from whatever task he had taken on to speed up the progress towards making the Forgotten Temple livable. I tugged on the bond between us in case he was out of earshot, and within moments he strode through the door.

“Zelda?” 

I held up the finished tunic, traced with white embroidery, “What do you think?”

He smiled, stripping off the Sheikah tunic and reached into his pack, pulling out an undershirt before reaching for the tunic and putting it on. It fit like a glove, flattering his figure without restricting his movement.

“How does it feel?” I asked.

“Great. I feel like I could fight a Lynel, maybe even two.”

“Let’s not get carried away.”

“Three.”

I laughed, shaking my head as I went to work on the finishing touches on the rest of the garments. The tunic was the more complicated project, and now that I was done with it I had enough time to work on something extra. Link took that as his cue to leave and strode out, getting back to his own work.

I felt anticipation grow in my veins. Whatever happened in Castle Town, it was going to change everything.

* * *

The Champions met us before dawn at the Sealed Grounds as planned, along with their chosen color guard. I gave them each their Champion Blue before allowing them to make final adjustments before we would make our entrance. 

The sun had yet to rise, but the noise from the gathered crowd spilled over the wall. I smiled, clearly the Sheikah had succeeded in giving the notice of our arrival to the people of Castle Town. I pulled Link to the side, taking out a package from behind my back.

“I had a little extra time, and I still feel bad for stealing it,” I said with a wink.

Link opened the package and pulled out his old knight’s tunic, shimmering white and newly lined with the light blue thread of the Champions, carving a reverse image of the Master Sword into his back, the handle rising from the foot of the cape when he put it around his shoulders.

“Why does  _ he  _ get an extra?” Revali snapped before Urbosa shushed him. Mipha looked away, turning to give the final instructions to her attendants. The sun broke the horizon.

“That’s our cue,” I said, turning to the small gathering, “As we discussed, we’re going to enter through the south gate and stop at the fountain, I’ll say a few words, and then we head to the Castle.”

The gates opened, and Link took my arm so we could lead the procession. I rolled my shoulders, reminding myself that the Bow of Light would stay behind my back for as long as I wished it, leather strap or no.

The early hour did nothing to dampen the cheers of the people as we came into view. With the sun still behind the wall, there was no mistaking the glow coming from our weapons as we led the way for the Champions, tailed by their color guard, into the main square. 

Once we made it to the fountain, Link escorted me up the steps before descending them once again to draw his sword and lay its tip on the ground in a position to stand guard as the Champions took their places at his sides. The crowd began to whisper, taking note of the holy blade and the glow that floated around it.

Once we had all taken their places, I addressed the crowd in my immortal voice, feeling far enough away from Ganon to use it safely so long as I kept a tight rein on it.

“People of Hyrule,” the crowd hushed, “my name is Zelda, and I am the Golden Princess who will lead these honorable Champions in the fight to vanquish the Calamity. I am their Commander, and I vow to protect this land and its people with every fibre of my being. I have been traveling the land with my appointed knight for this past month requesting the aid and cooperation of these brave warriors to represent Zora ingenuity, Gerudo spirit, Goron vigilance, and Rito confidence. Princess Mipha, Revali, Chief Urbosa, and Daruk have accepted my leadership and have taken on the sacred garb meant to symbolize their mantle of saviors of Hyrule. 

“In my quest to undermine the apocalypse that looms over us, I found an ancient weapon that has led the charge against the darkness since time immemorial, and my loyal knight took it upon himself to wield the blade. It is with great pride that I name Link Vanguard, the man who bears the sword that seals the darkness, the Hylian Champion, my partner in battle against the Calamity.”

Cheers rose, the cacophony drawing people in the castle to come outside to look. I could feel the king’s anger rise, burning at my back. Link took my hand as we led the procession into the castle gates Once they closed, I let the Bow of Light dissolve, knowing its presence would only aggravate the Calamity. I could see the King storm down the path, Leah in tow.

“Who gave you permission to cause a scene in front of the people of Hyrule!”

“I did, as the Champions’ Commander it is within my right to formally announce the Champions to the citizens. I have a responsibility to do so, in fact.”

“You’re not the Champions’ Commander!”

“Oh?” I asked, “and who would you have lead them in my stead?”

Leah stepped forward, chest puffed out, “It has been decided that I would be a better fit for the position.”

“You must be joking,” Revali scoffed, ever the contrarian.

“I beg your pardon?” came the King’s enraged reply, but Revali was having none of it.

“That is a child! I agreed to follow the Golden Princess into battle, not some little girl who thinks she can fill her sister’s shoes.”

“I agree this supposed change in command is disturbing,” Urbosa said, voice low and threatening, “did you think we would blindly follow anyone so long as they had your approval?”

“It does seem a bit presumptuous,” Mipha admitted. Daruk only shook his head, disappointed. 

“I only thought to have someone worthy as your Commander,” the king said, trying to backtrack. He wasn’t expecting to face opposition from the Champions themselves.

“And what assurances do we have that this girl is a good replacement for Zelda?” Urbosa snapped.

“I can do everything my sister can do and more!” Leah exclaimed.

“Prove it!” Revali retorted, ready and willing to engage in a bout of verbal sparring with a fourteen year old girl without hesitation.

“Fine!” Leah turned to me, catching sight of the broadsword I now wore on my hip. She smirked.

“Let’s see how well you do against me. After all, you can’t pray on the battlefield.”

I started to decline, to end this madness, but Link’s voice in my head gave me pause.

_ Do it. _

I turned to him, wondering what reason he could possibly have for encouraging this chaos. He looked at me with a sad expression.

_ She needs a wake up call. Too many people have gone easy on her. _

_ You think I’ll win? She’s had years of practice. _

_ She has years of being coddled. You’ll see. _

And that is how I found myself in a cleared out gatehouse facing my sister with sword in hand, the king and the Champions watching from above. The king looked down on me with an expectant look on his face, like he knew the outcome and was just waiting for it to come. I suppose I couldn’t blame him for it this time, as far as he and Leah knew, I’d never picked up a sword.

The referee signaled the beginning of the match. Leah surged forward, going for a frighteningly swift thrust.

I didn’t block. I didn’t need to, I just stepped to the side. Leah flew forward, stumbling to the ground as I rammed the butt of my blade into the small of her back. She fell to her knees, I cocked an ear, waiting for the ref to call the match, but the king held up a hand as Leah got up.

I was a bit startled. After losing against Link so long, I was a bit doubtful at my victory. Perhaps Leah got a slow start. This in mind, I waited for her to get up and try again. 

She came again. I deflected.

She swung. I parried.

She spun around to gain momentum only to slash at empty air.

Swing. Dodge.

Swing. Parry.

Swing. Block.

Swing. Deflect.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. 

I could see that her swings were neater than mine. More practiced, but in an actual combat situation she seemed to flounder. I tried giving her more chances. This couldn’t be it. Surely she was just having a bad day?

She had  _ years _ of training under her belt. How could she be doing so poorly? I could see the desperation in her swings. After all of the training I went through, she looked like a bumbling fawn with a sword.

Swing. Dodge.

No more. This seems cruel. I can’t watch this

I disarmed her, sending her swords skidding across the stones. The match was called. I looked up at Link, brow furrowed. He looked back with sad resignation. He knew this would happen.

“How could you?” Leah asked, it wasn’t an accusation, but genuine disbelief.

“I’ve been practicing,” I said, dumbfounded. This wasn’t a victory, it was child’s play. I was a novice, only having taken the sword for a couple of weeks.

How could anyone believe it was right to send little Leah onto the battlefield like this?

“But-but you haven’t done anything! All this time you would just sit around and now you suddenly have talent? Since when?”

There were a lot of different answers to that question. 

The sacred power had always slept within me.

It awoke when I took up the bow once more. 

Link’s guidance was what led to this victory.

My father was wrong about me.

“I’ve always been the Golden Princess,” I said, “I was never as powerless as you made me out to be.” I turned away, knowing trying to help her stand would only rub salt into a wound 

* * *

I slammed open the door to the captain’s office, fixing the man himself to his seat with a glare.

“What can I do for you, Your Highness?”

“You can tell me what in Hylia’s holy name is wrong with you,” I seethed, Link stood beside me, silent.

“I’m sorry?”

“My little sister, the pupil you’ve taught for a half a  _ decade  _ couldn’t put up half a fight against  _ me, _ someone who only started learning the sword two  _ weeks  _ ago. Now what say you to this revelation because the only explanation I can see for this situation is that someone led her astray. Someone like  _ you _ . What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Clearly you are more gifted than you realize.”

“Do  _ not _ mistake me for a fool, Captain Withers. How many times has she sparred against someone.”

“Countless times. She performed well in most of them. Only losing to the Hylian Champion,” he claimed, gesturing to Link beside me. I huffed.

“And off all her sparring partners, how many of them took her seriously?”

His silence was answer enough.

“How in Hyrule did someone like you become captain of the royal guard?” I spat, and he flinched.

“Princess, please, I am powerless against the King’s words, and he left us strict instructions to make sure Leah wasn’t harmed in her training, mentally or otherwise.

And then I understood what my Father had done to us.

He’d done everything in his power to make Leah out to be the talented sister. He would send Leah off to practice swordsmanship with a teacher more focused on building her ego than honing her skill. He’d taken every bit of talent within her and poisoned it with faulty instructions. All of this so that he could dangle a carrot in front of me. He thought if he could have one perfect daughter that he doted upon, the other would be inspired to rise above. 

He’d taken my sweet little baby sister and filled her with resentment just so he could reinforce his half hearted plan to preserve Hyrule. A plan to stifle every part of me that didn’t hold the promise of sacred power. 

I spun on my heel and stormed up towards the Sanctum, Calamity be damned.

I marched up the incline to the chamber. The slice of Link’s resolve shielded me against most of the beast’s influence, but a bit of my power still slipped out, sending the doors to the throne room thundering open a moment before we reached them. The solid wood pulled at its hinges. 

My Father stood at the foot of the dais, his hand on a weeping Leah’s shoulder. It set me off.

“How  _ dare _ you!  _ All _ of this is your own doing!”

Leah trembled, and my Father turned to me.

“It’s bad enough that you humiliated her this morning, but now you take this tone when speaking to your little sister? It’s-”

“I’m not talking to Leah, I’m talking to  _ you _ !” I growled, barely keeping my anger in check. My Father was stunned. It had never crossed his mind that I might take this tone with him. I didn’t give him room for recourse.

“How many years did I waste listening to you! I should have moved on the moment I knew that prayer wasn’t my path, but you insisted I continue following a false trail! All the while you were giving Leah false hopes by putting her on a pedestal so brittle it fell like a house of cards the second it met resistance! It’s bad enough to belittle me for things beyond my control, but you deliberately crippled my little sister by feeding her false teachings about herself and me. You let her believe she was ready for the battlefield when you  _ knew _ that she was being misled about her skills. You want to know why she was humiliated today? It’s because you never let anyone teach her without making sure she was handled like glass!”

“Wait.”

Leah had spoken up, but she wasn’t angry, as I expected, but disbelieving. Disoriented. She raised her head to me, and I couldn’t help how my heart broke at her lost, guilty expression.

“All that time you spent sitting in the castle, it was because you were ordered to? It wasn’t your choice?”

“It wasn’t.” I admitted. She swallowed.

“And everything Captain Wither’s told me, that was a lie?”

I nodded. She shook her head, “I have to go.”

She ran from the room, distraught. I watched her go through the yawning doorway, swallowed by darkness.

I turned to my father. To my eternal surprise, he didn’t stand tall and imposing as he always was. He sat slumped on the steps, the throne towering over him, head in his hands. 

Never before had I seen someone look so defeated.

Something in my chest gnawed at me, causing my insides to wither. I wasn't supposed to see him like this.

I watched silently as the king of Hyrule pulled himself together, standing, if not as straight as before.

“Zelda.”

“Yes?” I asked, at a loss. I didn’t know what to make of his quivering voice or his red rimmed eyes. He wouldn’t look me in the eye.

“You’ve given me no choice but to confine you here in the castle until you show progress.”

What?

I waited for the rage to flare back up again. I waited for despair. For something.

Nothing came. I just stood there. Empty. I wondered if this was what my body felt whenever I left it to watch Hyrule from the skies.

Link grabbed hold of the bond between us and pulled me back to the moment at hand. I heard the hum of Sheikah technology and turned to face him. He had taken the Sheikah Slate from where it was stashed under his cloak. He fiddled with the screen, and the Master Cycle Zero materialized before us. He tossed the Slate to me before taking the cloak from around his shoulders to wrap it around mine.

“What are you doing?” my Father asked, completely taken aback. None of the guards seemed to know what to make of the situation either, because they remained frozen as I mounted the bike behind Link. He pressed the accelerator, and we took off like a shot, speeding down the path.

The noise from the bike had alerted every guard on duty to our presence, but it didn’t matter. None of them were quick enough to catch us, and in the blink of an eye we were speeding towards the gate that sealed the castle away from the rest of the world. 

I took the slate in my hands, using the magnesis rune and opening the gate before we crashed into it. We sped around the fountain before I opened the gates of Castle Town. I holstered the Slate as we sped out into Hyrule Field. I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek between Link’s shoulder blades, not bothering to give him any instructions. I let his heartbeat drown out the swirling thoughts that scraped at my sanity, knowing that wherever Link would take me would be a safe haven.


	16. Catharsis

Hyrule was crawling with dozens of covert search parties looking for me. My father was trying to locate me and drag me back to the castle without raising the people’s suspicion. It would prove to be futile, however, as my knight seemed to predict this eventuality, and thus sought shelter for us in the Lost Woods, where he knew we couldn’t be followed. I collapsed on the bed of leaves, emotionally drained, dozing off as Link prepared a meal for us.

I cast my consciousness back to the castle where my father was pacing in his studies.

“You should call the search parties back, now’s not the time to waste resources,” I said, the distance between us allowed for a greater control over my anger. He looked around, trying desperately to find me.

“Zelda?”

“Yes.”

“Where are you?”

“Elsewhere. You won’t find me no matter how hard you look.”

“I wouldn’t have to send soldiers out if you didn’t run away.”

“My presence in the castle only aggravates the Calamity, the more time I spend there the sooner it will rise, and there are preparations to be made.”

“And you're so sure of this?”

“I can see the abomination writhing below you. Twice now it has almost awoken because I couldn’t hold in my anger. I won’t put this kingdom at risk-I won’t put  _ myself _ at risk by forcing myself to stay in a castle where no one ever cared enough about me to wonder if the way they treated me was actively suppressing the powers that lie within me.”

My father reared back as if he’d been slapped, “What are you talking about?”

“There was so much riding on me unlocking sacred power, but what have you done to empower me?”

“I made you focus on what was important!”

“You took away everything that made me happy and made me feel worthless!” I sobbed, putting the years of heartache to words at long last.

“I wouldn’t have had to if you just got your head on straight and worked on what we needed! You’re a disgrace to Hyrule!”

I felt Link tug on the bond between us, having sensed my distress and trying to bring me back to him where it was safe. I felt recentered, taking stock of all the people who truly cared for me. 

“You forget that this power is  _ mine! _ It grows when I do. Stifling everything that made me  _ me _ was  _ never _ going to lead to me unlocking my power, 

“You never gave me any reason to believe-”

**_“I shouldn’t have to convince you to love me!”_ **

My immortal voice rang out throughout the empty room, causing the window to rattle in its frame and forcing my father back into his chair. My words left heartbreak hanging in the air like smoke. Link pulled harder, urgently and notably distressed. This time I listened to his call, returning to myself and to his open and waiting arms, leaving my father with a few parting words before leaving him alone in his dark, cold office. 

“I hope one day the world will forgive you for your foolishness, because I’m not sure I ever will.”

I came back to the Lost Woods to find that I was already shaking with tears streaming down my face. Link had tucked my head into his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around me, having taken me into his lap as soon as he noticed my trembling. I sobbed, gasping for breath. Now that we were out of the castle and safe inside the Great Deku Tree I let the dam holding back all my distress break down, finally coming to terms with my own despair. He moved us to the bed so we could lie down, and I fell asleep with my ear pressed to his heartbeat and his hand smoothing down my hair.

He didn’t broach the subject until the next morning, waiting until I was halfway through my breakfast to speak. We sat side by side, our shoulders once again pressed together.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

I swallowed, taking a moment to collect my thoughts. 

“I had an argument with my father, he still believes me helpless. It seems he still doesn’t understand how his actions affected me. I don’t think he ever will.”

Link only nodded, waiting to see if I would continue. I sighed, dropping my head on his shoulder.

“I know fighting with him won’t get me anywhere, especially since he’s so set in his ways, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to set foot in Hyrule Castle without calling forth the apocalypse.”

“Do you need to go back to Hyrule Castle?”

I laughed, “I can’t avoid my father forever.”

“Why not?”

“He’s the king!”

“And you're the Golden Princess,” Link countered, “If the people catch wind of the fact that King Rhoam is actively getting in your way after they’ve seen all your efforts to keep them safe he’d have a riot on his hands.”

“The people think I’ve been sitting around all these years,” I refuted, but he only shook his head.

“The  _ nobility _ think you’ve been sitting around, and only because they spend their days talking with you father and your sister. Even before I entered your service the citizens held you in pretty high regard. The sacred power has always been a bit of a fairy tale as far as the people have been concerned. They hear of it, but they seldom see it or evidence of its existence. 

“They  _ can _ see, however, the Divine Beasts and how much work you have personally put into them. To see a member of the royal family actually take the time to look into the common people’s defense was not taken lightly. If King Rhoam wants to take you back to the castle against your will, he’d have to do it on the down low, something he might find difficult considering that you have an army of Sheikah ready to kill, fight, and die for you.”

I set down my plate, considering my options. I didn’t like the idea of being a fugitive in my own country, but I couldn’t deny the freedom of movement needed to make sure I was there when the Calamity rose. My eyebrows drew together in a pensive frown.

“Zelda,” Link murmured, gripping my hand in his, “there’s no need to rush. The king isn’t going to find us here. It’s okay to take a few days to figure out a plan before we proceed.”

He gave my hand a squeeze, and I felt his concern for me cover me like a warm blanket. I could still feel the mental weariness from the night before, so I didn’t bother trying to map out the next year, only focusing on the next step we’d have to take.

“We shouldn’t stay here long,” I said, turning my head to look in Link’s eyes and smiling when he gave my forehead a small peck. “While I doubt there’s a safer place in Hyrule, it’s too disconnected from the outside world. I can’t cut myself off from the people, not now.”

“Where do you want to go?” Link asked.

“We’ll make it up as we go along, I think. Go wherever our feet take us.”

Link nodded, before pulling me up and leading me outside to meet with the Koroks in what was undeniably overdue decompress time. 

After all that had happened the day before, I desperately needed a break.


	17. Repreive

I lay down beside Link in the nurturing green of the Lost Woods, my ear pressed to his gentle, beating heart. It was just after noon and the sunlight was filtering through the trees, the breeze whispering promises of a peaceful day and planting a contented drowsiness into me. It felt like I had been running across the wilds of Hyrule for ages, and now seemed like the perfect time to indulge in a nap. I was secretly tucked away in a forest no one could navigate, and my knight had his arms around me, I had nothing to fear. I brought my hand to rest on Link’s chest, and he covered it with his own as his lips ghosted over my hair, his other arm tightening over my waist. I lost myself to the ease of the moment, the birdsong serving as a lullaby that sifted through the sweet summer air. I faded into dream this time, not wanting to see the physical manifestation of my father’s disapproval searching Hyrule high and low for my knight and I. 

I saw the tapestry that told of Calamity’s defeat, but this time it was incomplete, my hands moving to stitch in the Hero’s eyes with a fond smile on my face. I felt arms wrap around me and I leaned back with a sigh. He started to rub my belly where the baby had started to kick.

“At least you got my good side,” Link said with a laugh, I giggled before my face fell.

“The Calamity will come back. It always does.”

A kiss on the cheek, a whisper.

“We’ll take care of it, we always do.”

I hummed thoughtfully, “Still, we should make preparations.”

“We have plenty of leftover guardians, and they’ll last a while.”

“But we have no guarantee they’ll still be around when Ganon returns, or that the Hylians of the time would be aware of their existence” I mused, “We need a backup plan.”

“What do you suggest?”

I held up my left hand, looking at the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom. We had torn the Triforce of Power away from Ganon before sealing him away and now it was kept hidden in the Sanctum until we found a more permanent place for it. Perhaps we could make use of it. An insurance policy, in case the stars didn’t quite align next time around.

I came back to the present, using Link’s embrace as an anchor against the disorientation that came with such a big leap to the past. Link tugged on the tie between us, and I shifted to look at him.

“Welcome back, how are things in Hyrule?” 

“I don’t know, I decided to dream instead.”

Link nodded, choosing not to press further, which I was grateful for, instead I stood and walked around to face the Great Deku Tree.

“You say you’ve watched over Hyrule for ages, were you alive when Calamity first rose?”

I heard the creak of wood as the Great Tree shook himself awake to consider my query .

“No, Little Goddess, I was not. The Calamity of which you speak is far older than you suspect. It has taken many forms and adopted many names, but it remains a primordial malevolence that was pledged to plague this land ever since it met its demise by the blade of evil’s bane that your Hero has claimed once again.”

“So the catastrophe from ten thousand years ago wasn’t the first time it threatened the land?”

“No, I do remember that battle shaking through the ground. As I recall, the princess of the time possessed an unparalleled command of the gift of foresight. A testament to the divinity your bloodline is steeped in.”

I felt my heart sink, “So I really am a shadow of what I’m meant to be?”

“No. The enemy you have faced has transformed into something unrecognizable countless times. In order to match it, you have become something else as well. The princess of that age didn’t wield the Bow of Light, but you do. There are no accidents Little Goddess.”

“I’m no goddess. If I was divine I wouldn’t be on the run from my own family.”

“Do you know why we call this land Hyrule?”

“Is it not named for its people?” I asked, uncertain what that had to do with my predicament.

“No, Little Goddess, it is named for  _ you _ .”

“What are you talking about?”

“Back when my leaves felt the sunlight for the first time the winds still whispered tales of a green clad youth who came down from the sky and cleaved open a barrier of clouds that covered this world for a millennium. It was he who struck the final blow against a shadow that had consumed the land. His foe was vanquished, but the hatred remained, and from that malice has remained ever since, and the time has come for you and your Hero to drive it back once more. In the midst of that great war the goddess was weakened to the point of mortality, yet her will remains, just as the Calamity does. She is reborn into the royal family whenever the darkness begins to grow, and you are no different. Your body is young, but your soul is the oldest that still wanders this world. Hyrule is a land ruled by Hylia.”

This was news to me. I remember my father sitting me down the year after mother passed and telling me that the White Goddess was merely the result of a slow amalgamation of the Golden Goddesses into one, and while we were blessed by the Goddesses, the claim that the royal family was descended from them directly was an assumption stemmed from the unusual magic power passed down from each generation that we tolerated because it led credence to our authority. 

And yet.

Impa had explained to me that their monks had been granted the sight by Hylia specifically, and I didn’t think the spiritually enlightened would believe in a fabricated deity. At the time, I had merely thought my father was mistaken, but now I couldn’t help but wonder if this was yet another lie concocted by my father to keep me in line.

But now I could feel it, as though I had been looking through a distorted window that had been shattered. I was the latest in a long line of avatars for Hylia, told otherwise so that I wouldn’t attempt to capitalize on the respect owed to me as a divine incarnation. All so my father would have his way. The thought would have made me furious, but now I just felt exhausted. It was a small lie compared what he did to Leah and I. Smaller still against to threat we faced, and the burden I now carried.

I knew that I would have to work through all the hurt one day, but for now I would focus on the task at hand.

I would save Hyrule,  _ then  _ mend my heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you are confused as to why Rhoam might deny the existence of Hylia I think that it stems from a combination of him not quite being in the know since he married in and not wanting his daughter to use her divine status to defy him.


	18. Author's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heads up y'all

My Dearest Readers,

I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone for reading and supporting my work thus far. I'm new to writing fan fiction and the welcome you all have given me has been indisputably warm and for that I can't thank you enough. That said, I think I'm going to end this work here. Don't worry, THIS STORY WILL CONTINUE, This isn't me saying goodbye or anything! In fact I'm going to post the first chapter of the sequel right after I post this author's note. It's pretty short but it should give you an idea of what I'm going for.

I feel like I owe you all a bit of an explanation before I proceed. I thought a lot about what I wanted to do with this story, especially with what I had planned for the sequel. One of the reasons that I took so long to update is that I had a plan for the sequel but not necessarily how to get there. We were at Point A and I had a Point C, but I didn't know what to do with Point B. Zelda, for the most part, had already had her revelation, and not much, from a narrative standpoint, wasn't set to happen after Zelda settled with herself. I then considered whether I needed a Point B in the first place, and decided that I would go ahead with writing the sequel. I know there are a lot of questions, and they will be answered, but for the time being please bear with me and give The Nuances of Destiny a try. Love,

Lorely Lantana


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